Secular Islam Summit
The Secular Islam Summit was an international forum for
Overview
The common ground of the participants was the belief that Islam and secular democracy should be compatible.[3] They agreed that Islam must be either a religion or a political philosophy, not both.[4] According to Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, one of the organizers, one of the summit's goals was to be a "sanctuary" for victims of Islamism and a forum for the embrace of secular values.[5]
Participants
Speakers ranged from former believers to devout reformers,[3] including Ibn Warraq (the pen name of an ex-Muslim author known for criticism of Islam), Tawfik Hamid (an ex-jihadist, now in hiding), Afshin Ellian (an Iranian refugee under police protection), Irshad Manji (a self-described "radical traditionalist"), Ayaan Hirsi Ali (a former member of the Dutch Parliament), and Hasan Mahmud (director of Shariah at the Muslim Canadian Congress).[6][7]
Several devout Muslims that had been invited to speak, such as
Media attention
The summit was covered by
Reception
The summit was described by
On the same weekend as the summit, the south Florida office of the
Summit activities
Ibn Warraq and Irshad Manji opened the summit at Sunday morning, followed by a panel discussions on the topic "Inside the jihadi mind". After the lunch, other panel discussions were held on the topics "Rediscovering secular traditions" and "Separating mosque and state" (with Afshin Ellian). The day was closed with a reception, after which some closed working group meetings were held.
The following morning opened with a panel discussion on "Secularism and Islamic thought." After the lunch ms Zand-Bonazzi released the joint declaration (see below) in a press conference which was followed by an open forum, in which all panelists were invited to participate. The next items on the agenda were a speech by Tawfik Hamid called "Islamism & terrorism: facts, reality & possible solutions" and a final panel discussion on "Women, Children, & Islam."[15]
Wafa Sultan, who participated in the last panel discussion, accepted an award from the Center for Inquiry, saying that she believed there was no such thing as moderate Islam, a view shared by some, but not all, of the attendees.[6]
St. Petersburg Declaration
Although delegates to the summit "differed sharply on particulars", on March 5 they released a public manifesto calling for reform within Islam. The text, known as the St. Petersburg Declaration, expressed support for the separation of mosque and state, equal protection for all religions, legal and social equality between men and women, and unrestricted critical study of traditional practices in Islam.[2][3][16]
Irshad Manji decided not to endorse the declaration, saying it was not sufficiently inclusive of practicing Muslims like herself; she elaborated that being a secular Muslim did not entail renouncing Islam for atheism or another religion, and that support for the separation of mosque and state was not un-Islamic.[8]
References
- ^ First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida, Kuwait News Agency, Feb 2007, archived from the original on 2014-02-03
- ^ a b Susan Jacoby (April 19, 2007), "Diverse Muslims, Violent Islamist Fundamentalism", Washington Post, archived from the original on April 29, 2007
- ^ a b c d Jay Tolson (8 April 2007). "Fighting for the soul of Islam". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ Andrew Bieszad, The Conference on Secular Islam, Telospress.com
- ^ Kuwait News Agency; "First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida; 27 February 2007
- ^ a b c d Stephens, Bret (2007-03-06). "Islam's Other Radicals - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
- ^ a b Geneive Abdo (March 17, 2007), "A More Islamic Islam", Washington Post
- ^ a b Elfenbein, Madeleine (April 19, 2007). "Irshad Manji's Flying Leap". The American Prospect.
- ^ Glenn Beck: Moderate Muslims Speak out Against Extremism, CNN March 5, 2007. (Transcript).
- ^ Laughlin, Meg (March 6, 2007). "Intelligence conference draws criticism". Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ Secular Islam Summit, National Review, 2007-03-06, retrieved 2012-07-27
- Washington Times, March 15, 2007
- ^ Ahmad, Parvez (March 22, 2007), "Reform is already in Islamic tradition", Florida Times-Union
- ^ What Is CAIR Afraid Of?, Investor's Business Daily, 3 July 2007. Archived here
- Archive.org
- ^ "The St. Petersburg Declaration". Centerforinquiry.net. 2007-04-05. Retrieved 2012-01-27.