Tahir

Your initiative to set up a reform movement is a noble one. As you
know, the battle will be a long one with lots of challenges but
rewarding. To live in compassion for all and treat God's creation as
divine is the way of the Muslim.

After reviewing your text, I have three comments:

First, you should define yourself as the organizer/moderator of this
forum - not the leader. Make it a web site and discussion group,
nothing more. If you try to establish a new mosque or try to call
yourself a leader...great danger awaits!

Second, I would remove all text critical of militant Islam. I know
this sounds silly to you but if you want to represent a true reform
movement you can not simply define yourself as opposite to another.
Besides people know what's wrong with the extremists, what people are
looking for is an alternative.

And third, you might want to explore what your movement can offer from
a spiritual perspective. I think Muslims are not only getting tired of
the militant and theologically flawed views of Wahabi supported
mullahs but also looking for a spritual experience. Within Sufism
there is a lot of material on how one can experience the divine, you
might want to research it.

Best of luck and don't open any unexpected packages in the mail (that
was a joke!).

Junaid



--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "Tahir Aslam" wrote:
> Dear Friends Mukto-Mona Group,
> I think most of you are familiar with the idea of New Islam
Movement. I was
> working on the structure of Movement. Finally, it was announced
formally
> last month in Toronto Canada. Now, I say welcome to progressive and
liberal
> members of the group to become member of this Movement as well.
> Being the Convener and Founder of this Movement, I would like leave
my
> little introduction.
> My name is Tahir Aslam Gora. I live in Ontario, Canada. I am Writer
of
> couple of Books.
> I have solution to get rid of International terror of Islamic
Militants.
> Therefore, I have initiated a Movement for Liberation and Freedom of
Islam
> and Muslim World. I feel the present model of Islam is not
compatible with
> the civilized attitudes of mankind. That?s why I have proposed
reformation
> of Islam. As I have announced the proclamation of New Islam,
Muslims in
> Toronto stopped my weekly Newspaper and they threatened to kill me
for
> various times. At the moment, Muslim fanatics are trying their best
to
> suppress my voice. I need your support for this Great Movement. In
this
> situation of war against terrorism my message is a need of time. My
message
> may become a relief to the moderate Muslims. My message may become
a
> solution against Islamic terrorism.
> In short there is dire need in Islamic Countries for an
intellectual
> movement that can free them from centuries old religious bindings
like other
> nations who have changed the unnatural behaviors of their religions
and
> established a platform for the combined global society.
> I am providing you few Internet links for my introduction.
>
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/44267
> http://www.pencanada.ca/exile/TAGora.htm
> http://www.writersunion.ca/g/gora.htm
> http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/01/dec6-01/front5a.asp
> http://www.cjfe.org/eng/exile/gora.html
>
> Regards
> Tahir Aslam Gora
> ONTARIO -- CANADA
>
> HERE ARE OUTLINES OF THIS MOVEMENT
>
> NEW ISLAM MOVEMENT
>
> TAHIR ASLAM GORA
>
> As a writer from a Muslim background and as a writer who often deals
with
> issues relating to Islam, it is of serious concern to me that there
is a
> disconnect between Islam on the one hand and the evolving realities
of the
> universe and the modern world. I therefore wish to suggest that
Muslims
> need to rethink their religion and their worldview. In making this
> suggestion, I fully understand that we, the Muslims, cannot adopt
any
> religious identity other than Islam. We can, however, reform Islam
in order
> to bring it into harmony with the modern world. I suggest the
following
> outline for the ?New Islam?.
>
> 1. The adoption of democratic values in every walk of life.
> 2. Recognition of the right of every person to complete
freedom of
> expression.
> 3. Recognition and application of internationally recognized
human
> rights.
> 4. An end to the institutions of Polygamy and Jihad.
> 5. A recognition of the equality of women in every walk of
life.
> 6. An end to the superiority complex that exists among Muslims
with
> respect to the other nations of the world.
> 7. The creation of a practical environment of love towards all
human
> beings.
> 8. A recognition of the right to participate in all kinds of
arts,
> including dance, music & paintings without any fear of censure.
> 9. The formulation of modern and liberal societies in Muslim
countries.
> 10. A recognition of the need for Muslim scholars and laypeople
to
> engage in a frank and honest reassessment of historical Islamic
> personalities instead of the emotional faith that has always
characterized
> Muslim attitudes towards such personages.
> 11. An end to the all-pervading fear of religious sin that
characterizes
> Islamic society.
> 12. A recognition that prayer and worship are symbolic,
spiritual, and
> above all, personal matters.
> 13. An end to taboos relating to food and drink, including
alcoholic
> drinks and ?halal? meat.
> 14. A recognition that the Quran is a symbolic, religious, and
to some
> extent, a
> Spiritual book, which is not applicable to all walks of life.
> 15. A recognition that the ultimate object of The New Islam is
peace for
> all
> Human beings.
> 16. A recognition that understanding the realities of the
universe
> should be the basic pillar of the New Islam.
> 17. An appreciation of the world as a single, global society.
> 18. A recognition of the notion of God as a universal rather
than a
> religious entity.
> 19. A replacement of the term ?prophets? with the terms
?Intellectuals
> and Leaders?.
>
> In addition to these basic points, new points and details will
continue to
> be added as required. In an ever-changing universe, the constant
evolution
> of an intellectual system is only rational.
>
> Following are brief explanations of the aforementioned basic
principles.
>
> 1. THE ADOPTION OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES: It is very important to
> understand the
> Real form of democratic values. Most Muslims reject democracy as
an
> invention of the West, whereas democracy is the common heritage of
all human
> beings. Most Muslim nations believe democracy consists of elections
or a
> particular system of government. In fact, democracy, in addition
to
> elections & system of government, involves recognition of the
principle
> ?Live and Let Live?. It is this kind of tolerant and flexible
behavior that
> allows people to live together and respect all human beings in
spite of
> differences of religion, colour and race.
>
> 2. COMPLETE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Freedom of expression has
always
> been non-existent in the Islamic world. This is due to Muslims?
need to
> impose the Quran and Hadith on every walk of life, whereas most
daily
> affairs have no concern with religious scriptures. Although
> Religious books do have some influence in every religion; this
influence is
> usually limited to the clergy in Christianity and has no concern
with state
> law. No one is allowed to express his/ her ideas in a Muslim society
due to
> the prevailing religious rigidity. Writers and journalists are
> Sometimes ordered beheaded and writers do not have permission to
express
> their ideas about certain ? special topics. Prohibition to study
the books
> of famous and important writers such as Salman Rushdie is a typical
example
> in this regard. A lack of dialogue is the major problem in Muslim
societies.
> Creative ideas are strictly prohibited in our societies. We have now
reached
> the point that all the hard work of a writer is wasted due to his/
her own
> ?self sensorship?. Most of our writers have become so impulsive in
religious
> faith that they are ready to hang anyone arguing in favour of
freedom of
> expression. It is a fact that nations adopting the way of drubbing
instead
> of dialogue can never enjoy the magnificence of liberty.
> Muslim societies cannot find the track of reality and truth without
the
> adoption of real freedom of expression.
>
> 3. IMPLIMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS: International
Human
> Rights are also rejected as they are considered an invention of the
West,
> whereas millions of Muslims are living in the West in a better way
than
> their own Islamic societies due to these very human rights. This is
possible
> only due to these human rights that Muslims are living according to
their
> religion in the Christian societies. The outline of human rights is
actually
> a great gift for mankind. We should try to make it better instead
of
> rejecting it.
>
>
> 4. END TO POLYGAMY AND HOLY WAR (JIHAD): Polygamy can never
be an
> appreciable practice. It is normally argued by Muslims that the
prophet
> allowed it for
> the betterment of the widows and the destitute women?s marital life,
whereas
> most of the Prophet?s marriages were not with such women. Here we
can only
> say in soft words that it happened whatever it was. This inhuman
practice
> should now be abandoned. The ?jihad?, the second name for the
dominance of
> Islam should also be banned.
>
> 5. EQUALITY OF MEN & WOMEN: I have repeatedly written that
Muslim
> societies provide the status of a mother, sister, daughter and wife
to a
> woman but are not ready to accept her status as a human being and
as a
> woman. The Modern world is appreciable in this regard that it
provides
> equal rights to all human beings without any distinction of sex.
>
>
> 6. ENDING THE SUPERIORITY COMPLEX AMONG MUSLIMS AGAINST OTHER
NATIONS:
> It is a fact that most of us do not know about the civilized way of
living
> but even then we become guilty of human disgrace. We, the Muslims,
consider
> other nations inferior because we think ourselves to be on the right
path
> and uniquely entitled to heaven. The other nations are therefore
considered
> to destine for hell. Leaving such ideas behind we can become able
to
> understand the realities of life and the universe. Not only the
Western
> world but also
> the Chinese, Japanese, other nations of the Far East and liberal
nations of
> East India including Hindus are on the way of understanding the
beauties of
> the life, adopting liberal ways.
> One of the major reasons in consideration of the superiority of
Islam is the
> thinking that it is the only religion from God and so we consider
ourselves
> as a ?Chosen Nation? among all the human beings. Although most of
the
> religions have the same ownership claim about God, the rigidity in
this
> respect has already decreased among them, whereas Muslims are not
ready to
> accept the reality that God is not a religious embodiment. God is
actually
> the name of the Universe of which we are one part.
>
> 7. ESTABLISHING A PRACTICAL ENVIRONMENT OF LOVE TO ALL HUMAN
BEINGS:
> Muslims will have to give a message of love to all the human
beings. It
> should be
> Exhibited practically.
>
> 8. PARTICIPATING IN ALL TYPES OF ARTS LIKE DANCE, MUSIC, AND
PAINTINGS
> ETC.: The importance of art in Muslim society was felt during
> ?Khalafat-e-Osmania? at the state level. But afterwards, Muslim
states
> started to become a factor in the abolition of the arts. Now during
the 21st
> century most Muslim societies consider the arts as an uncivilized
activity
> and a
> Serious crime according to the religion. Such an attitude is now to
be
> ceased to enjoy the beauties of life. Life should be decorated and
happy
> occasions should be celebrated accordingly. Muslim societies should
adopt an
> attitude to participate in all sort of art including dance, music
and
> Painting etc without any feeling of religious sin. Education of
these arts
> should be arranged & popularized by establishing Art Academies and
the best
> quality clubs.
>
>
> 9. FORMULATION OF MODERN LIBERAL SOCIETIES IN THE MUSLIM
COUNTRIES:
> Muslim societies should not become a hurdle in creating a
promiscuous
> society in their countries according to the ?New Islam?. Modern
liberal
> societies should be established in all Muslim countries. Gays and
Lesbians
> should be provided the rights according to the International status.
>
> 10. FRIENDLY, FRANK AND INFORMAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH HISTORICAL
ISLAMIC
> PERSONALITIES: A friendly and frank attitude should be adopted
instead of
> Expressing any emotional relational relationship with historical
Islamic
> personalities. We go up to worship the Prophets, the Poise Caliphs,
Imams,
> Sufis and Mullahs etc. We should adopt a friendlier attitude and
informal
> relationship with them. We should get rid of the ugly habit about
> concealment of facts in the life of our religious personalities.
For
> instance while trying to learn something about the life of the
prophet of
> Islam, it should be kept in mind that being a great leader of his
era, he
> was a human being like us. His historical greatness can also be
explained
> In the fact that he formulated the best human principals of his
time. But
> being a human being he had human instincts too. His love for women
for
> instance was due to the human instinct. He used to practice
politics
> throughout his life because a society could not be established
without
> political strategies. We do have the same emotions about the ?Poise
> Caliphs?. They also continue the
> Political struggle and as a matter of fact, some of them were
involved in
> the conspiracy of killing the other. There is no harm to accept
these
> realities. They were a part of the history and same is the today?s
man. The
> Imams tried to understand the facts about religion using their
wisdom in the
> same way. They used all the available sources of knowledge to their
level
> best. A true saint is not actually restricted to any religion but
he/she
> represents humanity. All the Sufis of the Muslim world (previous &
coming)
> will no doubt be a part of the same category. Prophets used to be
the
> Leaders of their nations. The present intellectuals, writers,
scientists,
> thinkers, philosophers, sincere social workers and the saints,
providing
> guidance to the nations are not less than the prophets.
>
> 11. ENDING FEELINGS OF RELIGIOUS SIN: It is necessary end
feelings of
> religious sin according to the ?New Islam? to save the human
energies from
> rusting with this feeling. This is also important to make one?s mind
free
> and liberal. A sense of responsibility is rather a good feeling
than sense
> of sin. The sense of sin about dance, singing and drinking etc. is
too great
> in Islam, and causes Muslims to become hypocrite. Such feelings do
not have
> any concern with today?s life and universe. Muslims have now come to
the
> point that a boy and a girl cannot
> have a ?date? without this sense of sin.
>
> 12. CONSIDERATION OF PRAYERS AS SYMBOLIC, RITUAL AND PERSONAL
MATTERS:
> There is no harm in several traditional prayers and worship, but
these
> should not
> be considered as the be-all and end-all of life. It is sufficient
to
> consider these practices to be a matter of personal consolation.
Some of
> these practices like the sacrifice of the animals should be
immediately
> stopped.
>
> 13. AN END TO TABOOS ON ALCOHOL AND HALAL MEAT: The prohibition
of
> alcohol and pork is meaningless today. The alcohol drinking nations
have
> proved themselves to be better in moral and human values. The use of
alcohol
> will just be a personal matter in the ?New Islam?, having no concern
with
> the principles of the religion. The theory of ?Halal Meat? is a
ridiculous
> thing today.
>
> 14. CONSIDERING QURAN AS A SYMBO:IC, RELIGIOUS, AND SPIRITUAL
BOOK:
> Quran should be considered as a symbolic, religious and to some
extent a
> spiritual book The reality of the spirituality become evident by
freely
> understanding the secrets and symbols of the universe. The Quran
should not
> be considered as a book, which can be implemented in every walk of
life. It
> is evident that no economic and social system could be developed in
the
> light of the Quran or any other religious book. This is the reason
that
> Canada and several European
> Countries have developed such a human system which could never been
> developed in any Islamic country. We, the Muslim societies should
have come
> to this level but no Muslim country is presently not even at 10%
humanistic
> as compared to these societies.
>
> 15. ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE THE ?NEW ISLAM?: The ultimate objective
of the
> ?New
> Islam? should only be the peace of human beings.
>
> 16. BASIC PILLAR OF THE ? NEW ISLAM?: No doubt, the basic pillar
of the
> ?New
> Islam? should be considered to understand the secrets and symbols of
the
> universe.
>
> 17. CONCEPT OF SHARING THE WORLD: The world is a shared global
society
> today. It
> cannot be made a shared living place for all the human beings
without any
> intellectual struggle as all the demonstrated human rights declared
up till
> now are the result of the continuation of the intellectual struggle.
Western
> intellectuals brought the West out of the religious rigidity during
the 20th
> century and separated the religion from the daily human life.
Moreover they
> tried to make the human mind so vast that religion cannot make them
slaves.
> It also helped the human beings to be restricted from blind faith
in
> religion and understanding the realities of the universe. It is now
duty of
> the intellectuals of the Islamic World to bring the Muslims out of
the
> emotional and drubbing policies to share the beauties of the
universe being
> shoulder to shoulder to all the nations of the world.
>
> 18. CONCEPT OF THE ?UNIVERSAL GOD? INSTEAD OF THE ?RELIGIOUS
GOD?:
> According to the ?New Islam? God is a universal phenomenon being
itself a
> part of humanity, all the religions and systems. It is not a
specific
> conception but it is a universal unit to which everything in the
universe is
> belonged.
>
> 19. USE OF THE TERM ?INTELLECTUALS? INSTEAD OF THE ?PROPHETS?:
The terms
> ?intellectual and leaders? will be used instead of the old term of
the
> ?prophet? in the
> ?New Islam?. The ?New Islam? will grow in an extremely democratic
way. There
> is no need of any type of Prophets, Gurus, or Leaders, but the ?New
Islam?
> will be put forward as an intellectual movement.
>
> I do understand that ladies and gents addicted to Islamic ethics
will bring
> arguments of ?Aya & Hadith? and an abundance of questions in
burdensome
> religious language but it is a fact that these terminologies have no
weight
> today. The references from ?Imams? also have no justification at
present.
> The realities of life and the universe are simple and evident,
sufficient to
> understand the life, life after life, the universe & the universe
after
> universe with vast & free mind. The ?New Islam? is necessary for
the
> struggle of bringing the life of the miserable nations, bound by
religious
> rigidity, on the way of exhilaration.
>
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