At first, the devout Muslims who gathered in a Washington, D.C., conference center seemed like they could have come from any mosque. There were women in headscarves and bearded men who quoted the Quran.
But something was different.While mingling over hors d'oeuvres, they discussed how to change Islam's future. A woman spoke about fighting terrorism; she had married outside the Islamic faith, which is forbidden for a Muslim woman. A Pakistani man mentioned his plans to meet friends for drinks, despite the faith's ban on alcohol.
In a corner of the room, an imam in a long gray tunic counseled a young Muslim with a vexing spiritual conflict: being gay and Muslim. The imam, also gay and in a relationship, could easily sympathize with the youth's difficulties.
On this brisk Monday night in late October, members of Muslims for Progressive Values, a nascent American reformist organization, had gathered from around the country to celebrate a milestone: In four years, the group had grown from a few friends to a thousand members and spawned a string of small mosques and spiritual groups that stretched from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
Today, as America's Muslim leaders debate controversial topics like political radicalism inside mosques and states' attempts to ban Shariah law, this growing network of alternative mosques and Islamic groups is quietly forging a new spiritual movement.
They're taking bold steps, reinterpreting Islamic norms and re-examining taboos. While far from accepted by mainstream clerics, these worshippers feel that the future of the religion lies not solely with tradition but with them. Women are leading congregations in prayer, gay imams are performing Islamic marriages, and men and women are praying side by side.
This is not the norm for most of the 2.6 million-strong American Islamic community, accustomed to centuries-old traditions of gender relations and houses of worship that tend to draw primarily from a single ethnic group.
"We can't move forward as a society, as a faith system, if we subscribe to these old draconian ways of practicing Islam," says Ani Zonneveld, who is the president of Muslims for Progressive Values. A 49-year-old singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, she leads prayers for men and women together and tells gay Muslims, often shunned in other mosques, that their religion welcomes them.
This soft-spoken Malaysian-American who sports a crop cut with blond streaks is one of a small but burgeoning cadre of Islamic reformers in the United States, both within her group and outside it. Their causes range from fighting radicalization and educating young people to building interfaith bridges and protecting women's rights. Over the years, leaders in the Muslim community have addressed changing needs, from building new mosques to defending civil rights when unfamiliar spiritual practices resulted in discrimination. But this new movement is a radical departure.
"What's taking place in Islam in America right now is what happened before in other religions," says John Esposito, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University.
A few denominations within Judaism and Christianity have openly welcomed gay people and women, Esposito points out. Some Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative Jewish communities are led by gay and women rabbis. The Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church allow gay and women clergy. The United Methodist Church ordains women.
Mosques in America, however, usually are Sunni or Shiite; they differ in how they interpret Islamic law. Still other mosques combine Sunnis and Shiites under one roof. But as far as the open participation of gay people or leadership by women imams, most mosques are much the same: It doesn't happen. Some Sufi mosques, which follow mystical traditions, welcome gay Muslims, though their numbers are sparse in the United States.
Most Muslims rarely attend mosques outside of major holidays although the Quran commands men to pray in a group every week. In a Pew survey last year of 1,033 American Muslims, just under one-half said they attend a mosque once a week. Many said they worship on their own or seldom. A majority of Muslims surveyed think the religion is flexible, with only about a third saying there is but one true way to interpret it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/03/29/progressive-muslims-launch-gay-friendly-women-led-mosques_n_1368460.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008&utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Seriously Soon these 'progressives' would start printing their own versions of the Quran. Islam is not a religion that can be tailored to your individual needs.

Ok nau!!! I wish them luck.

Islam has laws and principle. Homosexual is not accepted in Islam.

So Allah knows this will happen one day, so he specify the punishment of such act as DEATH.

Hmmm, they called it human right. Its a disease in the society and therefore needs treatment and the treatment is the punishment.

I will personally flog those people.


yeah, if I have the chance.

I pity this guys, if their brothers catch them. They would cry in 7diff languages.

I don't believe theyre Muslims and Whatever they're practising is not Islam. They should just find another name for it.

These homosexual people have decided to taint the image of Islam with their despicable practices.

Is it not enough that they are tolerated and left to live in peace? Why must try to make Islam look like a perverted religion by acting like the religion supports their behaviour?

Perverts.

Lol way to go muslims. Please allow them to live in peace, that's not a favor you're doing for them, it's their right. Islam is peace.


So what's with all these gay churches and mosques(women-led) opening everywhere?

Smh, bunch of delusional, dysfunctional, demented and dreadful set of peeps, looking for cheap publicity.

The fundamentals of Islam cannot be compromised, these peeps aint Muslims. End of story.

sino: Smh, bunch of delusional, dysfunctional, demented and dreadful set of peeps, looking for cheap publicity.

The fundamentals of Islam cannot be compromised, these peeps aint Muslims. End of story.

I have a problem with saying they are not Muslims. Is there anything to prove that?

They can be Muslims going against the principles of Islam but that they are not muslims? I think not.

^There are acts that take a person out of the fold of islam, such case is one who commits haram and says its halal, knowing fully well that it is haram. All the notable Islamic scholars agree on this.

These people are doing acts Allah SWT forbids, they are not remorseful about it, rather they are trying to propagate these haram acts. In short, they are challenging Allah's Law.

Islam means to submit in totality to Allah's(SWT) will, these people are going against this definition of Islam.

"PROGRESSIVE"? Really!

So
A progressive husband violates all the rules of marriage?
A progressive soldier will challenge all the rules of the army and query his superior officers' right to give orders?
A progressive citizen will burn the flag of his country?

These people are upon something OTHER THAN Islam

These guys are a minority, these kind of threads/reports give them publicity.

There was a lady in New York that decided that she has to lead the salat and men and women must pray in the same line. Do you know what happened?? The muslim community abandoned them and ignored them and They disintegrated. Today the sister has made taubah and she is back in the fold.

The best thing is not to give these guys publicity. You can advise them on a personal basis if you know any but not making it public. They feed off publicity.

sino:
Islam means to submit in totality to Allah's(SWT) will, these people are going against this definition of Islam.

Correct
"O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." Quran 2 : 208

"It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error."
Quran 33 : 36

These people who don't believe that the laws of Allah are binding upon them are not ordinary sinners. They DON'T believe they are committing any sins. They are ACTUALLY encouraging others to follow their footsteps.

What they are seeking is incompatible with Islam. They are free to practise whatever they want. But what they should know is that they are moving towards the exit gate of the deen of Islam

"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them – out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account". Quran 3 : 19

"And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." Quran 3 : 85


They are clinging to long-existing issues with established solutions (eg radicalisation) to pursue their perverted and misguided agenda of fa..otry, mingling of both se.xes, and women leading prayers

They offer nothing to contribute to issues like education, strengthening the deen, teen challenges, wealth creation etc. Their issues centre on se.x. nobody is deluded by the smoke screen of radicalisation, women rights

Allah is the source of guidance

k4kenny: At first, the devout Muslims who gathered in a Washington, D.C., conference center

They're taking bold steps, reinterpreting Islamic norms and re-examining taboos. While far from accepted by mainstream clerics, these worshippers feel that the future of the religion lies not solely with tradition but with them. Women are leading congregations in prayer, gay imams are performing Islamic marriages, and men and women are praying side by side.

This is not the norm for most of the 2.6 million-strong American Islamic community, accustomed to centuries-old traditions of gender relations and houses of worship that tend to draw primarily from a single ethnic group.

"We can't move forward as a society, as a faith system, if we subscribe to these old draconian ways of practicing Islam," says Ani Zonneveld, who is the president of Muslims for Progressive Values. A 49-year-old singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, she leads prayers for men and women together and tells gay Muslims, often shunned in other mosques, that their religion welcomes them.

Their causes range from fighting radicalization and educating young people to building interfaith bridges and protecting women's rights.

So u are saying that everyone(who thinks himself a good Muslim)is empowered to call others kaafirun.

so when next people(Muslims) disobey Allah by drinking, they av become disbelievers

when they wont wear hijab(as commanded by Allah) they are kafiroon

when they dont pray solaat at the right time, they are unbelievers, etc


and then in turn, they can stamp the khawaarij(abi, 2 can play d game) and everyone who doesnt act like they do, who cant understand their own 'moderate' Islam is an extremist.


I think the best thing is to make friends (and I dont mean bossom ftiendship)while trying to present the right Islam to them. Name calling gets us nowhere. it does more harm than good.

I would veer a little off topic..

I have a problem with name-calling within the Ummah.

Many people are unaware that they cannot call a person a hypocrite, no matter how obvious it seems. I have been called a hypocrite by muslims on nairaland because i wrote against all these 'Baby with Quran/Allah name on object miracles" and the likes... We do not have the license to call anyone a hypocrite. Particularly when the person has not been discovered as a spy in the muslim community. That is very different scenario.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said about hypocrisy, “No one fears it but a believer, and no one feels safe from it but a hypocrite.”

It is narrated in a Hadeeth (narration) that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, “I have witnessed thirty of the companions of the Prophet , all of them feared falling into hypocrisy.” [Al-Bukhaari]

Whenever we read the ayat on hypocrisy in the Quran, we should be looking at ourselves... Is this me?? That should be the Question... This is because it is something in the heart.

However, when it comes to kufr, It can be clear.... Rejecting the ayat of Allah is kufr... It is one thing to commit sin due to ignorance or when we know it is a sin. It is another to say this thing is not a sin even when it is clear.

Abu bakr (RA) fought against those who refused to pay Zakat. You can not redefine what Islam is for you. T

However, the scholars are the ones who can make that determination, not just anyone.

We should not just declare people non-muslims...Some of these guys just need a brotherly hand to come back. They are dealing with enough shayatin already..

There was a muslim kid who left Islam to become an agnoist, very knowledgeable kid, he even used to give the khutbah in his community. It took a brotherly hand to help him back. Sometimes, that is what they need.

The reason I spoke against this is because I have heard of instances esp in Nigerian Universities where with a few argument, someone gets up, shouts the other down as kaafir. it was very bad as I heard it.


I just dont think it right that we all start giving the judgements.

wa Allahu a'lam

tbaba1234: I would veer a little off topic..

I have a problem with name-calling within the Ummah.

Whenever we read the ayat on hypocrisy in the Quran, we should be looking at ourselves... Is this me?? That should be the Question... This is because it is something in the heart.

However, when it comes to kufr, It can be clear.... Rejecting the ayat of Allah is kufr... It is one thing to commit sin due to ignorance or when we know it is a sin. It is another to say this thing is not a sin even when it is clear.

Abu bakr (RA) fought against those who refused to pay Zakat. You can not redefine what Islam is for you. T

However, the scholars are the ones who can make that determination, not just anyone.

We should not just declare people non-muslims...Some of these guys just need a brotherly hand to come back. They are dealing with enough shayatin already..

Good points. If I have called anyone a hypocrite (usually a non-muslim), I have intended the normal english meaning. I prefer to call a Muslim person of double standard

deols:
The reason I spoke against this is because I have heard of instances esp in Nigerian Universities where with a few argument, someone gets up, shouts the other down as kaafir. it was very bad as I heard it.

I just dont think it right that we all start giving the judgements.

wa Allahu a'lam

I mentioned specifically that these people are legalising what is haraam. Sincerely I liken the difference between sin and what these people are doing to the difference between a po.rn star and somebody who commits zina secretly

Angrily calling someone a kafir in an argument is dangerous. One is bound to go too far.
I believe it is okay to point out that what someone is doing is an act of kufr and the person should watch his actions
I agree we should allow the scholars make the call

Allah knows best

BetaThings:
These people who don't believe that the laws of Allah are binding upon them are not ordinary sinners. They DON'T believe they are committing any sins. They are ACTUALLY encouraging others to follow their footsteps.

What they are seeking is incompatible with Islam. They are free to practise whatever they want. But what they should know is that they are moving towards the exit gate of the deen of Islam

tbaba1234: I would veer a little off topic..

I have a problem with name-calling within the Ummah.

Many people are unaware that they cannot call a person a hypocrite, no matter how obvious it seems. I have been called a hypocrite by muslims on nairaland because i wrote against all these 'Baby with Quran/Allah name on object miracles" and the likes... We do not have the license to call anyone a hypocrite. Particularly when the person has not been discovered as a spy in the muslim community. That is very different scenario.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said about hypocrisy, “No one fears it but a believer, and no one feels safe from it but a hypocrite.”

It is narrated in a Hadeeth (narration) that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, “I have witnessed thirty of the companions of the Prophet , all of them feared falling into hypocrisy.” [Al-Bukhaari]

Whenever we read the ayat on hypocrisy in the Quran, we should be looking at ourselves... Is this me?? That should be the Question... This is because it is something in the heart.

However, when it comes to kufr, It can be clear.... Rejecting the ayat of Allah is kufr... It is one thing to commit sin due to ignorance or when we know it is a sin. It is another to say this thing is not a sin even when it is clear.

Abu bakr (RA) fought against those who refused to pay Zakat. You can not redefine what Islam is for you. T

However, the scholars are the ones who can make that determination, not just anyone.

We should not just declare people non-muslims...Some of these guys just need a brotherly hand to come back. They are dealing with enough shayatin already..

There was a muslim kid who left Islam to become an agnoist, very knowledgeable kid, he even used to give the khutbah in his community. It took a brotherly hand to help him back. Sometimes, that is what they need.

I beg to slightly differ with you on this matter and have a question for you: can one be an homosexual and a Muslim at the same time?

maclatunji: I beg to slightly differ with you on this matter and have a question for you: can one be an homosexual and a Muslim at the same time?

Homosexuality is a desire, it does not stop a person from been muslim... The Muslim community has to be able to provide counseling services because that is what people like this need... I have heard stories of success stories from counseling. It is a mental situation and should be treated as such.

tbaba1234:

Homosexuality is a desire, it does not stop a person from been muslim... The Muslim community has to be able to provide counseling services because that is what people like this need... I have heard stories of success stories from counseling. It is a mental situation and should be treated as such.

Not the desire, the act itself. Fulfilling the desire is what I am asking about.

maclatunji: Not the desire, the act itself. Fulfilling the desire is what I am asking about.

Even if they went ahead with it knowing it is wrong, you can not consider them non-muslim. Muslims do all kinds of wrong. But If they try to justify it with the religion, then that is rejecting the ayat of Allah. That is kufr.

deols: The reason I spoke against this is because I have heard of instances esp in Nigerian Universities where with a few argument, someone gets up, shouts the other down as kaafir. it was very bad as I heard it.


I just dont think it right that we all start giving the judgements.

wa Allahu a'lam

Sis deols, i do agree that we as Muslims need to be very careful in pronouncing another Muslim a kafir, i hardly do such, and true, some of these people need our assistance, reminding them what Islam really is.

I totally agree that the scholars are indeed the ones to give fatwas on kufr and those who fall into it. I am also of the opinion that a Muslim needs to know such acts that can lead him into kufr.

Acts of kufr can be of action, utterance or denial of established principles of the deen, when a group such as this raise their head, saying that which is kufr, doing things which is kufr and denying established norms in the deen, knowing fully well what Islam is about, what do we call them?

I dont think one hesitates to call a polytheist a kafir.

tbaba1234:

Even if they went ahead with it knowing it is wrong, you can not consider them non-muslim. Muslims do all kinds of wrong. But If they try to justify it with the religion, then that is rejecting the ayat of Allah. That is kufr.

And what does the article tell you they are doing in relation to "justifying their action with the religion"?

I am speaking in general, i think, the smart thing is to leave these decisions to scholars.. And i also think we need to look at ways of bringing them back if possible.

maclatunji:

And what does the article tell you they are doing in relation to "justifying their action with the religion"?

Salaam

I am quite sure that Tbaba knows that those people are doing something sinful and are justifying it. But he is actually pointing our attention to a greater danger of laymen (like me - I am serious) declaring people to be kuffar. We might be right in this case but the practice might get out of hand.

We don't want people going the way of the manhaj of Boko Haram who are quick to make takfir of people and the next step is to declare it lawful for them to be killed.

Yes we need to call out people but the consequences of making it widespread might be deadly. So let us leave the official declaration to the scholars

Allah knows best

BetaThings:
Salaam

I am quite sure that Tbaba knows that those people are doing something sinful and are justifying it. But he is actually pointing our attention to a greater danger of laymen (like me - I am serious) declaring people to be kuffar. We might be right in this case but the practice might get out of hand.

We don't want people going the way of the manhaj of Boko Haram who are quick to make takfir of people and the next step is to declare it lawful for them to be killed.

Yes we need to call out people but the consequences of making it widespread might be deadly. So let us leave the official declaration to the scholars

Allah knows best

Context is key. For me, he chose the wrong thread to make his point.

Hehehe. . . I was wondering when it would start with Islam. No 'religion' is excluded from the influences of modern life, especially in America.

I'm not too sure what the outcry is on a few issues though - don't Muslims want young gay Muslims to be counselled about the difficulty they are facing? Or would you rather just condemn them?

At least if they are in the fold, they can understand the 'haram-ness' of their ways.

debosky: Hehehe. . . I was wondering when it would start with Islam. No 'religion' is excluded from the influences of modern life, especially in America.

I'm not too sure what the outcry is on a few issues though - don't Muslims want young gay Muslims to be counselled about the difficulty they are facing? Or would you rather just condemn them?

At least if they are in the fold, they can understand the 'haram-ness' of their ways.

It is simple, homosexuality is a willfully committed act that is totally forbidden. It is not like breathing or even eating such that we can say someone must indulge in it to survive. If someone comes and says, "He feels like having men", we can help him out. But if someone comes and says: "H must have men because it is a free world." Then there is very little room for him to be "educated" is there. It becomes a matter of each group going their separate ways.

^^ I know what you mean, but don't you believe in the power of Islam?

Even if he says it's a free world, the power of Islam should be able to take him away from the path of those that have gone astray.

debosky: ^^ I know what you mean, but don't you believe in the power of Islam?

Even if he says it's a free world, the power of Islam should be able to take him away from the path of those that have gone astray.

Pardon?

@tbaba,Allah wants us to quench our desire thats why He wants us to follow his laws,so as a muslim you are suppose to drop your desire and pick up Allahs ways for man.Many peolpe feel to drink or attend awambe with drinks on the table,but fear of Allah comes first,so there is nothing like nursing some stupid desire,its called challenging Allah and thats it.

@Deols,there is an hadiths that says a muslim becomes an desbeliever at the time of commiting the particular major sins,as far as i know they are disbelievers without the fear of Allah.