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'''Secular Islam Summit''' was an international forum for ] of ]ic societies, held in March 2007 in ], organized by secular Muslims<!--Kuwait News notes that Zand was one of the organizers--> together with the ], a secular humanist educational organization, and in partnership with the International ], a forum on ].<ref name=kuna>Kuwait News Agency, Feb 2007. </ref><ref name=WP>, Susan Jacoby, ''Diverse Muslims, Violent Islamist Fundamentalism''</ref> The '''Secular Islam Summit''' was an international forum for ] of ]ic societies, held 4–5 March 2007 in ]. It was largely organized and funded by the ]-based ], a secular humanist educational organization, along with secular Muslims such as ] and in partnership with the International ], a forum on ].<ref name=kuna>{{citation |publisher=Kuwait News Agency |date=Feb 2007 |url=http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1714231&language=en |title=First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203082755/http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1714231&language=en |url-status=live |archivedate=2014-02-03}}</ref><ref name=WP>{{citation |url=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_jacoby/2007/04/first_the_muslim_religion_and.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429123324/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_jacoby/2007/04/first_the_muslim_religion_and.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 29, 2007 |work=Washington Post |author=Susan Jacoby |author-link=Susan Jacoby |title=Diverse Muslims, Violent Islamist Fundamentalism |date=April 19, 2007}}</ref>


==Overview==
Speakers ranged from ex-believers to devout reformers,<ref name="usnews"/> and attendees included government officials from Arab countries, Europe, Canada, and the US.<ref name=kuna/> The summit was broadcast live on ]'s ]<ref>Washington Post March 17 2007</ref> and described by the '']'' as "a landmark".<ref>{{cite web|last=Stephens |first=Bret |url=http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB117314819125027850-lMyQjAxMDE3NzAzNjEwNDY4Wj.html |title=Islam's Other Radicals - WSJ.com |publisher=Online.wsj.com |date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2012-01-27}}</ref>
The common ground of the participants was the belief that Islam and secular democracy should be compatible.<ref name="usnews">{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070408/16muslims.htm |title=Fighting for the soul of Islam |author=Jay Tolson |work=] |date=8 April 2007 |accessdate=13 April 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123051213/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070408/16muslims_2.htm |archivedate=23 November 2007}}</ref> They agreed that Islam must be either a religion or a political philosophy, not both.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.telospress.com/main/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=187 |title=The Conference on Secular Islam |author=Andrew Bieszad |publisher=Telospress.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>]; ; 27 February 2007</ref>


==Participants==
;Goals
Speakers ranged from former believers to devout reformers,<ref name="usnews"/> including ] (the pen name of an ex-Muslim author known for criticism of Islam), ] (an ex-jihadist, now in hiding), ] (an Iranian refugee under police protection), ] (a self-described "radical traditionalist"), ] (a former member of the Dutch Parliament), and ] (director of Shariah at the Muslim Canadian Congress).<ref name="WSJ"/><ref name="Post"/>
{{empty section}}


Several devout Muslims that had been invited to speak, such as ] and ], did not attend; one that did, Irshad Manji, criticized the summit for "not making stronger overtures to practicing Muslims", and urged them to seek common ground.<ref name=TAP/>
Members of the ] (CAIR), a Muslim ] advocacy organization, criticized the summit for being organized by a non-religious organization and for including ex-Muslims among its speakers.<ref name="usnews"/> ], a professor of Christian and Muslim history at Georgetown, shared CAIR's apprehension, questioning the summit's claim to nonpartisanship.<ref>{{Cite news |work=Tampa Bay Times |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/06/Southpinellas/Intelligence_conferen.shtml |date=March 6, 2007 |first=Meg |last=Laughlin |title=Intelligence conference draws criticism}} "Legitimate scholars are horrified by the lineup. The speakers are extreme in their views. Basically, it's everyone known for damning Islam."</ref>


==Media attention==
⚫ ==St. Petersburg Declaration==
The summit was covered by ]<ref name="WSJ"/> and broadcast live on the ] on CNN.<ref name=Post>{{citation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031601941.html |work=Washington Post |date=March 17, 2007 |author=Geneive Abdo |author-link=Geneive Abdo |title=A More Islamic Islam}}</ref><ref>, '']'' March 5, 2007. (Transcript).</ref>
⚫ Although delegates to the summit "differed sharply on particulars", on March 5 they released a public manifesto calling for reform within ]. The text, known as the ''St. Petersburg Declaration'', affirmed the separation of mosque and state, gender equality in personal and family law, and unrestricted critical study of Islamic traditions.<ref name="usnews"></ref> It begins,<ref name=declaration/>


== Reception ==
:{{quote|We are secular Muslims, and secular persons of Muslim societies. We are believers, doubters, and unbelievers, brought together by a great struggle, not between the West and Islam, but between the free and the unfree.}}
The summit was described by ] of the '']'' as "a landmark."<ref name=WSJ>{{cite web|last=Stephens |first=Bret |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117314819125027850 |title=Islam's Other Radicals - WSJ.com |publisher=Online.wsj.com |date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2012-01-27}}</ref> ] of ] questioned whether the summit was nonpartisan, saying many summit speakers were known for condemning Islam.<ref name="tbt">{{Cite news |work=Tampa Bay Times |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/06/Southpinellas/Intelligence_conferen.shtml |date=March 6, 2007 |first=Meg |last=Laughlin |title=Intelligence conference draws criticism}}</ref> ] of the politically conservative American magazine ''National Review'', who attended the summit, described the participants as ex-Muslims and believers, adding, "I think it is no longer possible for people to say there are no reformist (or "moderate") Muslims."<ref name="NRLedeen">{{citation |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/content/secular-islam-summit |publisher=]|title=Secular Islam Summit|date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2012-07-27}}</ref> Arnold Trebach, a professor emeritus of ]'s Department of Justice, Law and Society, also mentioned the summit in the ] as "a tiny spark of hope and reason," saying that all must try to protect the lives of the speakers.<ref> by Arnold Trebach, ], March 15, 2007</ref>


On the same weekend as the summit, the south Florida office of the ] (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, met in ]. Attendees of the two meetings denounced each other; Ahmed Bedier, who serves as CAIR's Tampa chapter's executive director, dismissed the summit speakers as "atheists and non-Muslims" hostile to Islam. In contrast, speakers of the summit characterizing CAIR as Saudi-funded Islamists "hypersensitive to any criticism of Muslims" and "too quick to declare who is, or who is not, a true Muslim."<ref name="usnews"/> CAIR elaborated on their criticism of the summit, referring to Haddad's comments on the speakers' extremism and stating that the summit was wrong in promoting the idea that only former Muslims who disdained Islam, rather than Muslims who desired reform, could bring effective change. They attributed to growing Islamophobia the idea of "reforming" Islam by converting Muslims.<ref>{{citation |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032207/opl_8647594.shtml |title=Reform is already in Islamic tradition |first=Parvez |last=Ahmad |work=Florida Times-Union |date=March 22, 2007}}</ref> ], in an op-ed titled "What is CAIR Afraid Of?", described CAIR as a bullying Islamist group and stated that "... the Secular Islam Summit offers a ray of hope," envisioning a larger number of moderate Muslims further discomfiting the civil rights group.<ref>, ], 3 July 2007. Archived </ref>
Those who signed the declaration were:<ref name=declaration>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerforinquiry.net/isis/news/the_st_petersburg_declaration/ |title=The St. Petersburg Declaration |publisher=Centerforinquiry.net |date=2007-04-05 |accessdate=2012-01-27}}</ref>


==Summit activities==
{{col-begin-small}}
] and ] 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 ]). The day was closed with a reception, after which some closed working group meetings were held.
{{col-3}}

*]
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 ] called ''"Islamism & terrorism: facts, reality & possible solutions"'' and a final panel discussion on ''"Women, Children, & Islam."''<ref> on the website of the Secular Islam Summit. December 28, 2006 via ]</ref>
*]

*]
], 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.<ref name=WSJ/>
*]

*]
⚫ ===St. Petersburg Declaration===
{{col-3}}
{{For|other, similarly named declarations|Saint Petersburg Declaration (disambiguation){{!}}Saint Petersburg Declaration}}
*]

*]
⚫ Although delegates to the summit "differed sharply on particulars", on March 5 they released a public manifesto calling for reform within ]. 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.<ref name=WP/><ref name="usnews"/><ref name=declaration>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerforinquiry.net/isis/news/the_st_petersburg_declaration/ |title=The St. Petersburg Declaration |publisher=Centerforinquiry.net |date=2007-04-05 |accessdate=2012-01-27}}</ref>
*]

*]
] 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.<ref name=TAP>{{Cite news |url=http://prospect.org/article/irshad-manjis-flying-leap |work=The American Prospect |title=Irshad Manji's Flying Leap |date=April 19, 2007 |first=Madeleine |last=Elfenbein}}</ref>
*]
{{col-3}}
*]
*]
*]
*]
{{col-end}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>


==External links== ==External links==
* *
*
]
*
⚫ ]
*

]
]
]
] ]
⚫ ]
]

Latest revision as of 11:15, 6 November 2023

The Secular Islam Summit was an international forum for secularists of Islamic societies, held 4–5 March 2007 in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was largely organized and funded by the Amherst, NY-based Center for Inquiry, a secular humanist educational organization, along with secular Muslims such as Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi and in partnership with the International Intelligence Summit, a forum on terrorism.

Overview

The common ground of the participants was the belief that Islam and secular democracy should be compatible. They agreed that Islam must be either a religion or a political philosophy, not both. 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.

Participants

Speakers ranged from former believers to devout reformers, 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).

Several devout Muslims that had been invited to speak, such as Faisal Abdul Rauf and Mike Ghouse, did not attend; one that did, Irshad Manji, criticized the summit for "not making stronger overtures to practicing Muslims", and urged them to seek common ground.

Media attention

The summit was covered by Al-Jazeera and broadcast live on the Glenn Beck program on CNN.

Reception

The summit was described by Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal as "a landmark." Yvonne Haddad of Georgetown University questioned whether the summit was nonpartisan, saying many summit speakers were known for condemning Islam. Michael Ledeen of the politically conservative American magazine National Review, who attended the summit, described the participants as ex-Muslims and believers, adding, "I think it is no longer possible for people to say there are no reformist (or "moderate") Muslims." Arnold Trebach, a professor emeritus of American University's Department of Justice, Law and Society, also mentioned the summit in the Washington Times as "a tiny spark of hope and reason," saying that all must try to protect the lives of the speakers.

On the same weekend as the summit, the south Florida office of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, met in Fort Lauderdale. Attendees of the two meetings denounced each other; Ahmed Bedier, who serves as CAIR's Tampa chapter's executive director, dismissed the summit speakers as "atheists and non-Muslims" hostile to Islam. In contrast, speakers of the summit characterizing CAIR as Saudi-funded Islamists "hypersensitive to any criticism of Muslims" and "too quick to declare who is, or who is not, a true Muslim." CAIR elaborated on their criticism of the summit, referring to Haddad's comments on the speakers' extremism and stating that the summit was wrong in promoting the idea that only former Muslims who disdained Islam, rather than Muslims who desired reform, could bring effective change. They attributed to growing Islamophobia the idea of "reforming" Islam by converting Muslims. Investor's Business Daily, in an op-ed titled "What is CAIR Afraid Of?", described CAIR as a bullying Islamist group and stated that "... the Secular Islam Summit offers a ray of hope," envisioning a larger number of moderate Muslims further discomfiting the civil rights group.

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."

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.

St. Petersburg Declaration

For other, similarly named declarations, see Saint 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.

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.

References

  1. First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida, Kuwait News Agency, Feb 2007, archived from the original on 2014-02-03
  2. ^ Susan Jacoby (April 19, 2007), "Diverse Muslims, Violent Islamist Fundamentalism", Washington Post, archived from the original on April 29, 2007
  3. ^ 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.
  4. Andrew Bieszad, The Conference on Secular Islam, Telospress.com
  5. Kuwait News Agency; "First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida; 27 February 2007
  6. ^ Stephens, Bret (2007-03-06). "Islam's Other Radicals - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  7. ^ Geneive Abdo (March 17, 2007), "A More Islamic Islam", Washington Post
  8. ^ Elfenbein, Madeleine (April 19, 2007). "Irshad Manji's Flying Leap". The American Prospect.
  9. Glenn Beck: Moderate Muslims Speak out Against Extremism, CNN March 5, 2007. (Transcript).
  10. Laughlin, Meg (March 6, 2007). "Intelligence conference draws criticism". Tampa Bay Times.
  11. Secular Islam Summit, National Review, 2007-03-06, retrieved 2012-07-27
  12. The spirit of Islamic reform by Arnold Trebach, Washington Times, March 15, 2007
  13. Ahmad, Parvez (March 22, 2007), "Reform is already in Islamic tradition", Florida Times-Union
  14. What Is CAIR Afraid Of?, Investor's Business Daily, 3 July 2007. Archived here
  15. Program on the website of the Secular Islam Summit. December 28, 2006 via Archive.org
  16. "The St. Petersburg Declaration". Centerforinquiry.net. 2007-04-05. Retrieved 2012-01-27.

External links

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