Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques

[High_Gravity]

I don't see this sitting well with the Muslims in the Middle East.

Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques In Attempt To Reform American Islam

At first, the devout Muslims who gathered in a Washington, D.C., conference center seemed like they could have come from any mosque. There were women in headscarves and bearded men who quoted the Quran.

But something was different. While mingling over hors d'oeuvres, they discussed how to change Islam's future. A woman spoke about fighting terrorism; she had married outside the Islamic faith, which is forbidden for a Muslim woman. A Pakistani man mentioned his plans to meet friends for drinks, despite the faith's ban on alcohol.

In a corner of the room, an imam in a long gray tunic counseled a young Muslim with a vexing spiritual conflict: being gay and Muslim. The imam, also gay and in a relationship, could easily sympathize with the youth's difficulties.

On this brisk Monday night in late October, members of Muslims for Progressive Values, a nascent American reformist organization, had gathered from around the country to celebrate a milestone: In four years, the group had grown from a few friends to a thousand members and spawned a string of small mosques and spiritual groups that stretched from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Today, as America's Muslim leaders debate controversial topics like political radicalism inside mosques and states' attempts to ban Shariah law, this growing network of alternative mosques and Islamic groups is quietly forging a new spiritual movement.

They're taking bold steps, reinterpreting Islamic norms and re-examining taboos. While far from accepted by mainstream clerics, these worshippers feel that the future of the religion lies not solely with tradition but with them. Women are leading congregations in prayer, gay imams are performing Islamic marriages, and men and women are praying side by side.

This is not the norm for most of the 2.6 million-strong American Islamic community, accustomed to centuries-old traditions of gender relations and houses of worship that tend to draw primarily from a single ethnic group.

Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques In Attempt To Reform American Islam

 

[Dragon]

It probably won't sit well with more conservative Muslims, but it illustrates what I've been saying: a religion is what its followers make of it, and American Muslims tend to be a LOT more liberal than their Middle Eastern counterparts. (Although most of them aren't quite as liberal as this, either.)

 

[High_Gravity]

It probably won't sit well with more conservative Muslims, but it illustrates what I've been saying: a religion is what its followers make of it, and American Muslims tend to be a LOT more liberal than their Middle Eastern counterparts. (Although most of them aren't quite as liberal as this, either.)

Homosexuality is completely not allowed in Islam though, I have been to several Middle Eastern countries and it is just not tolerated, homosexuality is punishable by death in several Muslim countries, and gay imams? wow, the clerics in Saudi Arabia are going to be flipping the fuck out when they see this article.

 

[Dragon]

Homosexuality is completely not allowed in Islam though

Yeah, but Christians are on sound Biblical grounds condemning it, too. Those Christians who don't like that get around it by creative interpretation. Muslims can do the same.

 

[Peach]

It probably won't sit well with more conservative Muslims, but it illustrates what I've been saying: a religion is what its followers make of it, and American Muslims tend to be a LOT more liberal than their Middle Eastern counterparts. (Although most of them aren't quite as liberal as this, either.)

Homosexuality is completely not allowed in Islam though, I have been to several Middle Eastern countries and it is just not tolerated, homosexuality is punishable by death in several Muslim countries, and gay imams? wow, the clerics in Saudi Arabia are going to be flipping the fuck out when they see this article.

Islam in the Philippines differs from Islam in the Middle East also.

 

[GHook93]

I applaud their effort and hope it works. Although I see it failing!

I don't see this sitting well with the Muslims in the Middle East.

Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques In Attempt To Reform American Islam

At first, the devout Muslims who gathered in a Washington, D.C., conference center seemed like they could have come from any mosque. There were women in headscarves and bearded men who quoted the Quran.

But something was different. While mingling over hors d'oeuvres, they discussed how to change Islam's future. A woman spoke about fighting terrorism; she had married outside the Islamic faith, which is forbidden for a Muslim woman. A Pakistani man mentioned his plans to meet friends for drinks, despite the faith's ban on alcohol.

In a corner of the room, an imam in a long gray tunic counseled a young Muslim with a vexing spiritual conflict: being gay and Muslim. The imam, also gay and in a relationship, could easily sympathize with the youth's difficulties.

On this brisk Monday night in late October, members of Muslims for Progressive Values, a nascent American reformist organization, had gathered from around the country to celebrate a milestone: In four years, the group had grown from a few friends to a thousand members and spawned a string of small mosques and spiritual groups that stretched from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

Today, as America's Muslim leaders debate controversial topics like political radicalism inside mosques and states' attempts to ban Shariah law, this growing network of alternative mosques and Islamic groups is quietly forging a new spiritual movement.

They're taking bold steps, reinterpreting Islamic norms and re-examining taboos. While far from accepted by mainstream clerics, these worshippers feel that the future of the religion lies not solely with tradition but with them. Women are leading congregations in prayer, gay imams are performing Islamic marriages, and men and women are praying side by side.

This is not the norm for most of the 2.6 million-strong American Islamic community, accustomed to centuries-old traditions of gender relations and houses of worship that tend to draw primarily from a single ethnic group.

Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques In Attempt To Reform American Islam

 

[High_Gravity]

Homosexuality is completely not allowed in Islam though

Yeah, but Christians are on sound Biblical grounds condemning it, too. Those Christians who don't like that get around it by creative interpretation. Muslims can do the same.

Hmm I have read the Quran before, I didn't really see too much leeway in moving around that, the whole gay Imam thing has me shocked, is this an early April foolls joke?

 

[Dragon]

Hmm I have read the Quran before, I didn't really see too much leeway in moving around that, the whole gay Imam thing has me shocked, is this an early April foolls joke?

It's easy. All they have to do is say that this was a rule appropriate for medieval Arabia but not for modern America, and allowances have to be made for progress. That's essentially what Christians do: "We're not bound by that anymore."

These are just the extreme edge of liberal Muslims in America. Most Muslims here don't go quite that far, but as time goes by more and more will.

 

[amrchaos]

(SARCASM)

So the spirit of America is now undermining Islam!

The Great Satan(American individualism) has turned another religion inside out by allowing women to lead and accepting Homosexuals!

I am sure God will not stand for it! When will the liberalization of religion cease?

We have Liberalized Jews!
Liberalized Christians
And now, Liberalized Muslims???!?!??!

What is next? Liberalized Atheists? Liberalized Buddhists? Liberalized Global Warming Experts? Liberalized Non-religious affiliated Mystics?


Liberalization must stop! If not, then soon Women and Homosexuals will have the right to perform marriages! Sacrilege, I say! Sacrilege!

 

[laughinReaper]

I'm surprised they haven't been fire bombed by the traditional Muslims.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Welcome to the land of infidels gay muslims!

 

[hipeter924]

(SARCASM)

So the spirit of America is now undermining Islam!

The Great Satan(American individualism) has turned another religion inside out by allowing women to lead and accepting Homosexuals!

I am sure God will not stand for it! When will the liberalization of religion cease?

We have Liberalized Jews!
Liberalized Christians
And now, Liberalized Muslims???!?!??!

What is next? Liberalized Atheists? Liberalized Buddhists? Liberalized Global Warming Experts? Liberalized Non-religious affiliated Mystics?


Liberalization must stop! If not, then soon Women and Homosexuals will have the right to perform marriages! Sacrilege, I say! Sacrilege!

That part doesn't make sense, as liberalism gave birth to Atheism.

 

[Dr.Drock]

(SARCASM)

So the spirit of America is now undermining Islam!

The Great Satan(American individualism) has turned another religion inside out by allowing women to lead and accepting Homosexuals!

I am sure God will not stand for it! When will the liberalization of religion cease?

We have Liberalized Jews!
Liberalized Christians
And now, Liberalized Muslims???!?!??!

What is next? Liberalized Atheists? Liberalized Buddhists? Liberalized Global Warming Experts? Liberalized Non-religious affiliated Mystics?


Liberalization must stop! If not, then soon Women and Homosexuals will have the right to perform marriages! Sacrilege, I say! Sacrilege!

That part doesn't make sense, as liberalism gave birth to Atheism.

On a board with Truth Matters, Decepticon and Pale Warrior, it's amazing that you've managed to say the dumbest thing I've ever read on this board.

 

[konradv]

(SARCASM)

So the spirit of America is now undermining Islam!

The Great Satan(American individualism) has turned another religion inside out by allowing women to lead and accepting Homosexuals!

I am sure God will not stand for it! When will the liberalization of religion cease?

We have Liberalized Jews!
Liberalized Christians
And now, Liberalized Muslims???!?!??!

What is next? Liberalized Atheists? Liberalized Buddhists? Liberalized Global Warming Experts? Liberalized Non-religious affiliated Mystics?

Liberalization must stop! If not, then soon Women and Homosexuals will have the right to perform marriages! Sacrilege, I say! Sacrilege!

It's what I feel will happen. The hysteria over shariah law belies the fact that when people come here, they change, we don't beyond adopting their food.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Sunni Man must be rolling in his grave.

 

[nitroz]

Sunni Man must be rolling in his grave.

 

[nitroz]

Do they provide classes on how to make suicide vests?

 

[Wolverine1984]

I find it highly illogical for gays to believe in any religion that says they are evil.
And as it stands now,all major religions brand gays as 'works of the devil'.

 

[hipeter924]

(SARCASM)

So the spirit of America is now undermining Islam!

The Great Satan(American individualism) has turned another religion inside out by allowing women to lead and accepting Homosexuals!

I am sure God will not stand for it! When will the liberalization of religion cease?

We have Liberalized Jews!
Liberalized Christians
And now, Liberalized Muslims???!?!??!

What is next? Liberalized Atheists? Liberalized Buddhists? Liberalized Global Warming Experts? Liberalized Non-religious affiliated Mystics?


Liberalization must stop! If not, then soon Women and Homosexuals will have the right to perform marriages! Sacrilege, I say! Sacrilege!

That part doesn't make sense, as liberalism gave birth to Atheism.

On a board with Truth Matters, Decepticon and Pale Warrior, it's amazing that you've managed to say the dumbest thing I've ever read on this board.

Do you actually know what liberalism is, or was your brain lobotomized as a child? You realize that there are huge differences between American liberalism, and that arguing all liberalism is the same, is like equating all capitalists with corporatism.

iberalism (from the Latin liberalis)[1] is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights.[2] Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights, capitalism, and the free exercise of religion.[3][4][5][6][7]
Liberalism first became a powerful force in the Age of Enlightenment, rejecting several foundational assumptions that dominated most earlier theories of government, such as nobility, established religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings. The early liberal thinker John Locke, who is often credited for the creation of liberalism as a distinct philosophical tradition, employed the concept of natural rights and the social contract to argue that the rule of law should replace absolutism in government, that rulers were subject to the consent of the governed, and that private individuals had a fundamental right to life, liberty, and property.
The revolutionaries in the American Revolution and the French Revolution used liberal philosophy to justify the armed overthrow of tyrannical rule. The nineteenth century saw liberal governments established in nations across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Liberal ideas spread even further in the twentieth century, when liberal democracies triumphed in two world wars and survived major ideological challenges from fascism and communism. Today, liberalism in its many forms remains as a political force to varying degrees of power and influence on all major continents.
A twenty-first century development is an emerging new liberalism that is centred on the concept of timeless freedom (ensuring the freedom of future generations through proactive action taken today).[8] This is an idea that has been endorsed by the President of Liberal International Hans van Baalen.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism

I am sorry, but some of us on this board don't view liberalism as solely the modern variety, but instead as a political, social and economic movement that spans many centuries. You make me sick.

I am not even going to respond to you, any further, I hope you are not representative of America. Some of the people on this board also, know little about American liberalism as they have NOT BEEN BORN IN AMERICA or LIVED IN AMERICA FOR VERY LONG. When was the term 'liberalism' changed to 'Democrat'?

 

[Dragon]

In a religious context, "liberalism" has a related but somewhat different meaning from its original political context. It's still about liberty and equality, but in a moral, spiritual, and cultural framework rather than one of laws and economics. Hence, a view that gay people are acceptable in the eyes of God is more liberal than a view that they are not. That's only one example, of course.