Rich and Liberal Ideas of the Muslim Faith: We Ought To Show Compassion To Gay Individuals
By
Junaid Jahangir, New Age Islam
12 January
2022
Imam
Daayiee Abdullah Rejects Patriarchy As A Cultural Construct, For “During The
Lifetime Of Prophet Muhammad, Women Gained Significant Freedoms, Including The
Right To Choose Their Husbands, The Right To Divorce, And Inheritance Rights”
Main
Points:
1. Progressive
Islam is concise, written simply to be accessible, and reasonably priced to be
affordable for a wider audience.
2. Rampant
homophobia among Muslim scholars, let alone the masses, would not allow a
dispassionate look at the subject.
3. In telling
his story and his understanding of Islam, the Qur’an, and the Prophet, he
allows us a glimpse of his inner world.
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Progressive Islam by Imam Daayiee
Abdullah
Abdullah, Daayiee. (2021).
Progressive Islam: The Rich Liberal
Ideas of the Muslim Faith.
MECCA Institute Publishing. 186 pages.
ISBN-13: 978-0578851372, paperback $5.23
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Introduction
Imam
Daayiee Abdullah, the world’s first openly gay black Imam and founder of the
MECCA Institute, published his book Progressive Islam last year. It is concise,
written simply to be accessible, and reasonably priced to be affordable for a
wider audience. Often books on progressive Islam are written for the academic
market and are exorbitantly priced, which push them beyond the reach of
everyday Muslims. Therefore, his book is a much-needed welcome addition in the
Muslim market.
I came to
know of Daayiee in 2004 when I had begun to read about the position of gay
Muslims in Islam. This was a year before same-sex marriage was legalized in
Canada in 2005 and a decade before the same in the U.S. in 2015. It was long
before the Orlando gay bar shooting of 2016, which incentivized western Muslim
leaders to condemn homophobic violence if only to protect their own vested
interests.
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Also
Read: Why Accommodating Gay Rights within Islam is a Challenge?
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Back then,
I was affiliated with Qur’anic studies scholar, Dr. Shehzad Saleem, as his
research assistant for the Renaissance monthly magazine. He was quite gracious
to publish my article, where I argued that while homosexuality was a sin, we
ought to show compassion to gay individuals. While this position of tolerance
is mainstream in Muslim cultures today, at least in western countries, back
then my article was met with intense scorn. It informed me that rampant
homophobia among Muslim scholars, let alone the masses, would not allow a
dispassionate look at the subject.
Imam Daayiee
Abdullah, the world’s first openly gay black Imam
----
To date,
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, the chief scholar who influenced many of my teachers
including Dr. Shehzad Saleem and Dr. Khalid Zaheer, maintains the erroneous
view that homosexuality is a result of childhood incidents (alluding to sexual
abuse), in contrast to the mainstream position of professional bodies of
psychologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians and medical doctors.
Though, at
least the topic is talked about today for the issue was a taboo back in 2004.
This is why it was amazing to find out that there was an Imam, who did not preach
that homosexuality is an Azmaish (test) but rather blessed Muslim
same-sex unions. Unlike Sufi masters and Muslim celebrity speakers with YouTube
channels, Daayiee does not make supernatural claims or puts himself on a pedestal
with a large following of minions. Additionally, he seems more interested in
offering his perspective on progressive Islam than engaging in
counterproductive Munazaras (debates) that have come to define the
religious sphere in the Indian subcontinent.
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Indeed,
from what I know of him for more than a decade, he is a simple, kind, and
sensitive human being despite his larger-than-life physical appearance. While I
have my own outlook on Islam, I honour him for his humanity and for being a
beacon of hope where many others succumb to societal prejudice. In this spirit
of honouring him, I highlight a few salient ideas below that emerged from my
reading of his book.
The
Black Gay Imam
The book is
a blend of how Daayiee embraced Islam, his relationship with the Qur’an and how
it informs his worldview, and his lived experience as a black gay Muslim. In
telling his story and his understanding of Islam, the Qur’an, and the Prophet,
he allows us a glimpse of his inner world. This honesty is refreshing because
so many Muslim scholars, academics, and celebrity cult speakers hide their
insecurities behind their titles and positions of privilege. But Daayiee speaks
to his audience as a peer instead of speaking down from a pedestal.
Sometimes,
I wonder what reception he would have received from the larger Muslim community
had he been a straight, blue eyed, white skinned convert. For I often ponder
how white converts assume positions of privilege and power based on the
internalized racism of brown skinned Muslims of Middle Eastern and South Asian
origins. I think had he not been black or gay, Daayiee’s story of conversion
would have been universally spread across Muslim communities.
He writes
that despite being baptized in the Southern Baptist denomination and expected to see Jesus as a saviour
or God, he never did (p. 31). He mentions how his connection to the Qur’an
allows him to grow spiritually and writes about his conversion that “I
eventually had my Iqra moment … I felt my breath taken away. I was in
such a state that there was no time or physical presence; I felt in the
fullness of my soul that I had connected with my Creator and was at total inner
peace” (p. 46).
Growing up
in the pre-civil rights era, he writes about how “people were afraid of
integrated education, integrated neighbourhoods, and any form of equality
between whites and blacks” (p. 72). I found his description of that time quite
moving of how “blacks were brutally attacked by individuals, mobs, the police
forces with dogs and guns” and how “the state and federal government turned a
deaf ear” (p. 72). It is important to remember this history, as it made black
people “rethink the idea of a common Saviour” after both Malcolm X and Dr. King
were murdered, and as history repeats itself where black people are blamed for
“the burning of ransacked shops and businesses” even as “it was probably white
police provocateurs inciting the riots” (p. 72).
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Also
Read: The Holy Quran: Why Were The Verses On The People Of
Lut Revealed?
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Daayiee’s
words made me think of how people are oppressed and then blamed for their own
oppression. This victim blaming the black people also holds true for poor people
who are blamed for their poverty. It also holds for gay people, whose
legitimate human need for intimacy, affection, and companionship are first
rejected and who are then judged as sinners and accused of bringing misery upon
themselves.
Daayiee’s
experience of racism was only compounded by homophobia. He writes about his
lover who committed suicide that “he was a black gay boy in a world that did
not want him to be either of those things; the non-blacks rejected his
blackness, and the blacks rejected his gayness” (p. 114). And this homophobia
followed Daayiee when he converted to Islam. He didn’t chase the title of an
Imam, but it came to him as he was “pushed to become an imam … when a gay Muslim was denied their
last rites” (p. 115).
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Also
Read: To Sustain an LGBTQ Affirming Islamic Discourse,
Lateral Violence Must End
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In essence,
regardless of the reaction of the larger Muslim community, I think Daayiee’s
story of a black gay man who was born before the Civil Rights act of 1964, his
conversion to Islam and subsequent stepping into the role of an Imam who
offered compassion when none was shown, deserves a documentary of its own.
Dispelling
Casual Islamophobia
Daayiee’s
simple and concise book is useful against casual Islamophobia where, ignoring
the socio-economic and political conditions, Islam is simplistically reduced as
the factor responsible for the problems in Muslim countries. He writes that
Muslim communities suffer from “theocratic dynasties, monarchies, colonialism,
despots, and extremists”, and from “cultural conflicts” and “political wounds”
that “date back to Prophet Muhammad's death”, which “were further strengthened
through European colonialism and modern dictatorships” (p. 12, 113-114).
Daayiee
does not delve into topics like the age of Aisha and the massacre of the Banu
Qurayza, issues that have been addressed ad nauseum, and which take away time
and effort from the pressing concerns of economic inequality, automation,
climate change, and weakening democratic norms. He spends less time on
apologetics and more on building an affirmative narrative. He alludes to how
the Prophet’s “new religion challenged the very foundation of Mecca’s
pilgrimage economy”, which rested on “trading in human slavery, including sex
slavery … blood feuding between the tribal groups, female infanticide, … the
rich taking advantage of the poor through usury and other forms of oppression”
(pp. 34-35).
He rejects
patriarchy as a cultural construct, for “during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad, women gained significant freedoms, including the right to choose
their husbands, the right to divorce, and inheritance rights”, whereas “in the
United States, it was not until the mid-1800s that women were allowed to sue
for divorce” (p. 86). Similarly, he contrasts the Prophet’ saying that “the
best women who ride camels are the women of Quraysh” with modern Saudi Arabia,
which was able to prevent women from driving cars (p. 86).
He upholds
a significant insight that it is not about Islam but about how “leaders use
Islam to promote or minimize concepts that may intersect with political
interests (p. 114). He states that where
the Qur’an is “used as a calling card to bring about change in the
disenfranchised lives” it is also “used by the ruling classes to maintain their
hegemony” (p. 63). What this means is that where Islam is diverse, it is its
practitioners who wield it to support capitalism or socialism, dictatorship or
democracy, homophobia or affirmation, and patriarchy or liberation.
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Also
Read: Why Gay Muslims Are Upheld To Standards That Not Even
Prophets Fulfil?
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Daayiee
also captures the increased conservatism of Muslims, as they immigrate to
western countries. Based on his travels to Muslim countries, he writes that, “I
realized the immigrants were not as diverse as those living in their native
countries. I suppose this happens to diverse communities of any faith, as we
all want to "unite" in foreign countries” (p. 18). This is perhaps
what lies behind the increased “black and white” positions of some Muslim youth
who grew up in the west, as they rail against the women and LGBTQ empowering
norms.
In essence,
Daayiee’s book helps dispel casual Islamophobia by offering the insight that
ignoring socio-economic and political considerations, patriarchal and
homophobic norms that run much deeper than religion, and simplistically blaming
all problems on a caricatured Islam is reductionist and unwarranted.
Additionally, he creates a narrative that draws our attention away from never
ending debates on dead-end issues that add no meaning to our lives and towards
economic and systemic oppression, which matter.
Addressing
Muslim Homophobia And Internal Divisiveness
Just as
racist Islamophobes defend themselves against being called out as racists, so
too Muslim homophobes claim that they are not homophobic. Yet, the litmus test
of someone being racist or homophobic is simple enough, for many such people
are starkly absent when it comes to anti-racism and anti-homophobia
initiatives. It is not uncommon to find Muslim leaders, who raise their voices
against Islamophobia but who are deafeningly silent when it comes to their own
complicity in the oppression of minorities like Ahmadis or LGBTQ Muslims.
Daayiee
narrates a moving story of the institutionalized homophobia he experienced in
the American Muslim community. He glowingly talks about how the late Dr. Taha
Jabir al-Alwani (d. 2016) encouraged him to pursue “Islamic Studies,
specializing in Qur'anic interpretation” (p. 21). Yet, despite fulfilling the
requirements for graduation at the “Graduate School of Islamic Social Sciences,
which eventually evolved into Cordoba University”, he was informed that he
would not graduate because he was gay (p. 20-22). While Dr. Taha informed him “that he was against the
administration's decision”, Daayiee “heard from the school that they were considering issuing” his certificate but would not
maintain his records at the school (p. 23).
This is
unthinkable in this day and age when institutions support equal opportunities
for minorities. Yet, just two decades ago, Daayiee could not get his
certificate because “it was a Saudi funded school”, which “could negatively
affect their future funding” (p. 23). Moreover, even though many Muslims like
to claim they are not homophobic, Daayiee was refused internship at a mosque,
as the Imam did not want him there just because he was gay (p. 22).
Such issues
are not unique to the Muslim community. I am reminded of a Christian case where
Delwin Vriend was fired from the King’s College, which is now the King’s
University, a private Christian institution in Edmonton, Alberta. Today, the
same institution proudly supports its LGBTQ students, staff, and faculty.
Unfortunately, such is still not the case with Muslim institutions across North
America. I think part of the reason is the constant infighting and divisiveness
within progressive Muslim communities.
Daayiee
writes that the “Progressive Muslim Union of North America or PMUNA ... was an
impressive group” that supported progressive thinking and LGBTQ Muslim rights,
but “there began schisms within the membership, and eventually, the infighting tore
the group apart in 2006” (pp. 24-25). He reiterates generally that
“progressive organizations disbanded one after the other because the members
had disagreements on certain topics” (p. 107).
I have
noticed this even within the marginalized LGBTQ Muslim community where lateral
violence and scathing criticisms burn individuals out. In the end, it is not
only conservative Muslims but rather the progressives who, by chewing each
other out, impede effective change in Muslim communities.
Addressing
this concern on divisiveness, Daayiee recognizes that “a significant number in
the community” are “still dealing with multiple levels of internalized trauma”,
which is “linked to the complex nature of reconciling ancient cultures with
modern realities” (p. 115). He argues that we will have to create and highlight
values to “overcome division” and to remind people that “commitment to the
group’s values” does not lessen “their individual growth” (p. 107).
In essence,
Daayiee’s story reminds us that a lot remains to be done in the Muslim
community that rightfully challenges Islamophobia but casually ignores the
entrenched homophobia within its own institutions. To this end, his book
informs us that LGBTQ and progressive Muslims would first have to overcome
division among themselves and commit to cooperation if they hope to change the
status quo.
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Also
Read: The Quran on
Homosexual Relations
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Qur’anically
Inspired Vision For Change
Daayiee
does not allow himself to be bogged down by the division within progressive
Muslim communities for his anchor is the Qur’an and his direct relationship
with Allah that countenances no intermediaries. He writes that “in building my
personal relationship with my Creator, I am not so easily swayed to believe
that I must mimic Prophet Muhammad’s practices of the 7th century” (p. 32). In
support of his position, he quotes “Ibn Khaldun, who said, “[Deliberately]
following ancient customs and traditions [of a faith] does not mean that the dead are living,
but that the living are dead” (p. 32).
He remains
rooted in his personal connection with the Qur’an and gives it precedence over
the secondary sources of Islamic knowledge including the Hadith and Tafsir
(commentary). Alluding to the late Gamal al-Banna (d. 2013), he writes that “he
is well known for removing some 600 Hadiths from Bukhari alone, saying they were fabricated and
unsuitable for keeping in the book” (p. 39). Similarly, he writes about Tafsir
that it “tends to be a domain of male academic theologians and a relatively
conservative field” (p. 69).
Daayiee is
clear in his approach that while “the Holy Qur'an represents the divine message
from our Creator, it is the human interpretation that makes it what it is in
the Muslim communities” (p. 51). He writes that “the personal relationship with
the Qur'an is what also makes it a fundamental tool for change ... there is a call for unity through
the concept of human diversity leading back to the same historical ancestor. Concepts like this have the power to
eliminate ugly aspects of human history such as racism, xenophobia, and
imperialism (p. 111-112).
He set outs
a Qur’anically inspired vision for change, as he writes that “some of these
Qur'anic messages include that there is no compulsion in religion, to care for
members of society, honor one’s commitments, honesty and fairness through
dealings, not kill unjustly” (p. 75). He continues that “these ethics are not
limited but can also include much larger societal issues such as
environmentalism, religious pluralism, freedom of expression, politics, animal
welfare, peace and justice, human welfare, military ethics, as well as various
medical ethics” (p. 75).
Daayiee
shows how the wisdom from the ancient text manifests in contemporary times. He
writes that “the code of human rights we find in the United Nations is as
Islamic as anything else” and reiterates that “the Qur'an, in verse 21:92,
commands us to acknowledge our unity and God. In the 20th century, by creating
the United Nations, it seems that humans attempted to fulfil this commandment”
(p. 75-76, 104).
In essence,
Muslim readers gather that if God has not spoken to human beings since the
Prophet, he has also not abandoned them, for the Qur’anically inspired vision
for change manifests itself through the United Nations and therefore the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, Daayiee has written a book that showcases the story of a black gay
Muslim who was thrust into the role of an Imam because others were too
homophobic to show any compassion. It shows how Islamophobia is dispelled less
by engaging in apologetics and more by offering a liberating narrative that
draws Muslims away from incessant dead-end debates and focuses their attention
on the pressing issues of our times. It shows that internal division would have
to be overcome through values for a progressive vision of Islam to thrive.
Finally, it shows that a Qur’anically inspired vision for change manifests in
contemporary times through the United Nations and therefore the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. One hopes that his message receives the wide
readership that it deserves, for where pessimistic Muslims are consumed by the
fear of calamities, pandemics, and the end of the world, Daayiee’s optimistic
approach reminds us of the Hadith to plant a tree even if the world comes to an
end.
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Junaid
Jahangir is an Assistant Professor of Economics at MacEwan University. He is
the co-author of Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex Unions. With Dr. Hussein
Abdullatif, a paediatric endocrinologist in Alabama, he has co-authored several
academic papers on the issue of same-sex unions in Islam. He contributed this
article to NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/books-documents/daayiee-muslim-faith-gay-individuals/d/126139