• Learn about progressive interpretations of Islamic law and how they positively affect GLBITQ rights.
• Discuss love’s centrality to a Muslim’s spiritual life.
• Get involved by submitting your questions and comments live!
• Read and reflect on the talk on our online community at ProgressiveIslam.org

El-Farouk Khaki (born October 26, 1963) is a Canadian refugee and immigration lawyer and human rights activist on issues including gender equality, sexual orientation, and progressive Islam. He is the New Democratic Party’s candidate for the House of Commons in the riding of Toronto Centre in a by-election being held on March 17, 2008.

In 1993, he founded Salaam, the first queer Muslim group in Canada and second in the world. In 2003, he organized the first female-led, mixed-gender Muslim congregational prayers in Canada for the Salaam/Al-Fateha International Conference, and in 2005, organized the first such prayers anywhere to be held in a mosque, and he has been involved in every such public event in Canada since. Among other involvements, he has served on the Toronto Mayor’s Committee on Community & Race Relations, on the board of The 519 Community Centre, and is now elected chair of Africans in Partnership Against AIDS.

Khaki regularly speaks publicly at events and in news media on issues ranging from refugee protection, to the global AIDS crisis, Canadian multiculturalism, racism, persecution of sexual minorities around the world, and religious and racial profiling in the war on terror, among other topics. His appearances include CTV’s morning television program Canada AM, CBC Radio One’s The Current, and others.

In spring 2007, Khaki received the prestigious Steinert and Ferreiro Award from the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation for his “major role in paving the way in Canada for refugee protection on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender”, and ground-breaking work on gender equality in the Muslim community. The previous summer, Pride Toronto, one of the world’s largest gay-pride festivals, recognized his work building tolerance and inclusiveness in the Muslim community with the 2006 Pride Award for Excellence in Spirituality. El-Farouk Khaki is the NDP candidate for Parliament from Toronto Centre.

Visit El-Farouk’s website for further details.

Access the seminar LIVE at 5pm Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, February 24th.

It will be streamed live, and you can watch it on “Values Live!“, MPV’s multimedia service, which supports events related to the values we stand for.

http://www.mpvusa.org/live.htm

The talk will be followed by a question and answer session and commentary by Sharon Groves, Deputy Director, Religion and Faith Program for the Human Rights Campaign.

The talk will also be available for future download.

In Afghanistan, a young journalism student is sentenced to death for downloading an article off the internet and distributing it to his class for discussion.

There is so much wrong with what happened to this young man, not just in terms of basic human and civil rights, but also in terms of blatant violations of Islamic morality and legal codes, that I don’t even know where to begin.

Read the full article here.

The Prophet Muhammad taught us that we should chose our leaders from among the best of us. Leaders are expected to display the characteristics of a good Muslim, including humility and self-control, commitment to consultative government, and dedication to compassion, care for the less well off, and a peaceful society in which all can prosper.

I can well imagine that many of you reading this column are shaking your heads and wondering where one might find such a leader in the Muslim world.

Read the full article here.

Michael Savage is suing CAIR for posting a clip of his hate speech on their site. His frivolous lawsuit claims “copyright infringement” because the CAIR site featured a “donate” button.

In defense of free speech, we’re joining the “No Savage” campaign being led by “Brave New Films“. They have posted the same clip next to our own donate button. All proceeds will be given to The Interfaith Alliance (except $1, which they’ll keep).

Here’s the story from NY Times, and the full lawsuit.

Mabrook! Eid Mubarak. Have a Blessed Eid.

Ramadan Kareem! The Noble Month of Ramadan is coming to and end and the blessed festival of Eid-ul-Fitr is upon us. It is a time when Muslims the world over focus on spirituality, compassion, patience, peace and the joys of having completed a month of fasting for the pleasure of God. Two months and ten days from now, we will all celebrate Eid-ul-Adha, the time of the year when we focus on sacrifice, humility, dedication to our faith, and the blessings of the pilgrimage for our community. ‘Tis the season, as the saying goes, to renew our deen, our faith in Islam, a religion that derives its very name from the same root as a word for peace.

Over the years, three or four clear positions have evolved within the global Muslim community and particularly in North America with regards the method of determining the dates of these holy days and month, with some advocating for local moonsightings, others preferring to follow Saudi Arabia, yet others relying upon astronomical calculations, and so on. Each group holds its position in all sincerity and with great passion; each group has faith, tradition, and logic to back up its position. Unfortunately, the differences in approach, and the strength with which each position is held, often lead to disrespectful exchanges within the community, and even to lasting grudges and ill will between neighbors, friends, and members of local congregations.

This year, and in future years, we at the Muslims for Progressive Values would like to invite everyone who identifies themselves with the community of Muslims, or who participates in the cultural life of the Muslim community, to make a commitment to engage with people who hold different positions on the matter of dates and calendars (or any other issue) with respect, good will, and compassion. If we can pass this test of fraternity within the community, if we can treat other Muslims with respect whether we agree or disagree, and do so without losing sight of what holds us together and makes us brothers and sisters in our faith and our humanity; if we can do that, then we can try to begin fulfilling our role as the upholders of peace and justice and truly be the best of communities.

The month of Ramadan, the Hajj season, and the days of the Eids are some of the most blessed moments of our calendar, let us try to fill them with peace, compassion, and good will towards all humanity; and let us start within our community.

Have a blessed Eid, and please sign this pledge:

We pledge to engage with respect and good will towards those who hold views different from ours on the calendar of our festivals. Wa Allahu Aalam, only the Almighty has perfect knowledge.

at http://www.petitiononline.com/EidPeace/petition.html

Note: MPV’s amicus brief statement appears at the bottom of this post, after the newspaper article excerpt.

Diverse groups file legal briefs endorsing same-sex marriage
By RACHEL KONRAD, Associated Press writer
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
(09-26) 16:21 PDT San Francisco (AP) –

Hundreds of national civil rights groups, lawmakers, academics and cities submitted legal briefs to the California Supreme Court Wednesday in support of gay couples who are seeking to overturn state laws prohibiting same-sex marriage.

Nearly 100 groups representing racial minorities with their own histories of disparate treatment submitted “friend of the court” briefs in the case, which makes California one of three states in the nation where marriage laws are facing a legal challenge.

They included the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

“We are not treating all Californians equally if some can marry and others cannot,” Alice Huffman, president of the California Conference of the NAACP, said in a statement. “The law should protect all people equally, and all Californians should have the choice to marry.”

The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments early next year in the lawsuit attempting to make California the first state outside Massachusetts to sanction same-sex marriage. A Superior Court overturned the ban in March 2005, ruling that it violated the constitutional rights of gay men and lesbians.

But a midlevel appeals court reversed that ruling last October, saying that same-sex couples already enjoy the nearly all legal benefits of marriage through the state’s domestic partner laws.

The plaintiffs in the case include 15 same-sex couples, the city and county of San Francisco and two gay advocacy groups, Equality California and Our Family Coalition. They sued the state after the Supreme Court halted San Francisco’s short-lived 2004 attempt to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in violation of the law.

The Campaign for Children and Families and the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund have joined the state in defense of the same-sex marriage ban. Conservative groups say a 2000 voter initiative that prevented California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere reflects prevailing public opinion on the marriage issue.

Those that endorsed making gay unions legal in at least 30 amicus briefs filed before Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline included a former state Supreme Court justice and more than a dozen state lawmakers.

Nineteen cities and counties filed briefs, including the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Long Beach and Oakland. The Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Santa Clara County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association and California Women Lawyers also signed on to those documents.

More than 400 religious organizations and clergy members filed an interfaith brief arguing that the constitutional principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state require that same-sex couples have equal access to civil marriage.

Groups included Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, Muslims for Progressive Values, General Synod of the United Church of Christ, Union for Reform Judaism and California Council of Churches.

The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association and National Association of Social Workers wrote a brief explaining that decades of research has “consistently found that same-sex couples are just as capable of being good parents as different-sex couples and that their children are just as well adjusted.”

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/26/state/n162101D61.DTL

MPV’s amicus brief statement was as follows:

“Sexuality is a core component of human nature, and sexual activity is an essential aspect of human lives. In the Qur’an, God sanctions sexual activity only in the context of publically acknowledged, commited relationships. Denying that to the queer community is tantamount to demanding they commit a major sin, or remain celibate their entire lives, neither of which is acceptable.

Furthermore, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and the right to pursue happiness are basic human rights. Each individual is free to navigate their own life path, so long as their choices do not harm other individuals. No matter what one person’s view on marriage or homosexuality may be, what is important is the view of the two individuals desiring to be married.

Aside from the moral ramifications of denying marriage to the queer community, there are also legal and financial repercussions in American society that cannot be overlooked. From visitation rights in hospitals, to tax and insurance benefits, denying marriage to the queer community puts one segment of our society at a financial and social disadvantage compared to other American citizens.”