Why Are We
Being Silenced as Muslims?
By Mehnaz Afridi
Long Beach, CA
Lot of fuss has been made about Dr. Wafa Sultan,
and I keep hearing that Muslims are silent. Well,
as a Muslim, I am somehow too non-controversial
since I am a believer in Islam and yet have condemned
so many aspects that are taken as an extreme by
some Muslims. I wanted to respond to several articles
and media interviews given by Dr. Sultan and hoped
to be heard somewhere!
After reading the article by Teresa Watanabe Islam
Fatally Flawed, Says Voice from Corona via Al-Jazeera
published in the Los Angeles Times, March 13th
2006, I began to ask myself the following questions:
Who is Dr. Wafa Sultan? Is she a Syrian-American
secular humanist? An American psychiatrist? A
woman who heralds that she has identified the
problems in the Muslim world? Is she the brave
and courageous woman that so many American organizations
have hailed as a heroine?
I am and was deeply moved and encouraged by Dr.
Sultan’s strength in her interview on February
17th 2006 on Al-Jazeera yet I was equally perplexed
by the media reaction. I am a Muslim woman who
shares California as my home with Dr. Sultan but
I am a Religious Studies scholar, and an intellectual.
I have committed the majority of my work to create
better relations between Jews and Muslims in the
US. I have publicly condemned religious scriptures
that “are riddled with violence, misogyny,
and other extremism,” (LA Times, March 13th);
however, I have dedicated my work to taking from
the Qur’an the strong and the weak messages
of my tradition as a Muslim. In my work I question
and reevaluate extreme negative verses about Jews,
women, holy war, and relations with others. I
believe Muslims must reform within themselves
and stop carrying out violence in the name of
Islam by taking literal verses out of context.
Like Dr. Sultan, I agree that Muslims must change
and take example after other religious communities
like Jews who have shown so much strength, intellectual
determination, and awareness; however, my puzzlement
stems from the following question that I know
my fellow Muslims are asking in the United States:
Is there a way that Americans will allow practicing
peaceful Muslims (the majority) to be at the vanguard
of mainstream media? For example, my friend, Ani
Zonneveld and I have been working on progressive
ideas for Muslims in Los Angeles for some years.
Ani’s important work for freedom, human
rights and female Muslim musicians is already
making an indelible mark on women’s rights
within Islam. My own work has been focused on
bridging gaps between Jews and Muslims and I have
presented lectures at several synagogues in Los
Angeles but the media has been silent.
I am surprised that the media would not grab the
opportunity of publicizing a Muslim woman lecturer
at Jewish centers and temples in Los Angeles responding
to and accepting Muslim anti-Semitism as a deep
problem. Perhaps if I were to renounce Islam (God
forgive me), I too would create a public stir.
As I thank Dr. Sultan for her brave words, and
I believe that she or anyone else is free to renounce
Islam, I would like to add that Islam to me has
been one of the most consistent and peaceful aspects
of my life. As a Muslim I can understand the Qur’an,
I live within my own rich tradition, and remain
to be peaceful and accepting of others. I am surprised
that the media has cherry picked those who have
renounced Islam. When will diverse voices from
the Muslim world be given the chance to speak
out?
There are many Muslim scholars in North America,
Europe, Asia, and in some Muslim parts of the
Arab world that would agree with Dr. Sultan and
condemn violence; however, many would disagree
that Islamic teachings are the main vehicle of
violence. I as a Muslim take full responsibility
for my actions based on the moral and tolerant
teachings of Islam and believe that Muslims are
reinventing themselves within the diverse and
rich mosaic of Islam.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
