Dear Alfatih,
The Progressive or Liberal Islam movement is gaining grounds everyday allover the world, not only where Muslims could practice/express these ideas but also in the so-called Muslim countries.
The movement is strongly rooted in Indonesia and represented by many groups such as the Liberal Islam Network
https://islamlib.com/
In the US there are many active groups and Chapters in which all are guided by the the following principles:
• We affirm that a Muslim is anyone who identifies herself or himself as "Muslim," including those whose identification is based on social commitments and cultural heritage.
• We affirm the equal status and equal worth of all human beings, regardless of religion, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality. Islam holds that this essential dignity is due to humanity’s rank as precious creations of God, and recipients of divine breath, as stated in the holy Qur’an.
• We affirm that justice (‘adl) and compassion (ihsan) should be the guiding principles for all aspects of human conduct. Islam holds that these qualities are characteristics of God as revealed in the holy Qur’an, divine qualities that are the ethical virtues to which all human beings should aspire to emulate.
• We reject authoritarian, racist, and sexist formulations as antithetical to the principles of justice and compassion.
• We call for critical inquiry and dynamic engagement with Islamic scripture, early Muslim sources, the Islamic intellectual heritage, and traditional and current Muslim discourses. Critical inquiry should always proceed from a commitment to justice and compassion for all, and not degenerate into blaming or stigmatizing others.
• We believe that there are multiple paths that lead to truth.
• We support the political separation of religious institutions and state functions, and the strict neutrality of the state on matters of religion.
• Recognizing our participation in the broader human family, we seek to engage with and contribute to other philosophical and spiritual traditions and progressive movements.
There are growing participations of the Sudanese activists in this movement especially in cities like Philadelphia, Amherst. Actually one of these groups are planning an important pioneer step in the coming weeks which I plan to share here on this forum when I get their permission.
For human rights activists, religious they are or not, Islam as a belief of more than 1.2 billions should not be left for fanatics to hijack.
Regards to the wonderful group of people I met with you during the SSA conference in Toronto last month.
Mohamed Elgadi
Philadelphi, PA
USA
