Muslims Afraid to Speak Out?
Several years ago when I wrote in the Leicester Mercury concerning the wearing of the burqa, there was quite a lot of reaction, including letters from Muslim women. My most recent letter, (24 January) quoting the views of Taslima Nasrin on the need for women to cast off purdah, found no response at all. This lack of participation by the local Muslim community is very worrying for our democracy. It suggests that people are afraid to express their views. Two important meetings of Muslim reformers have taken place over the past two weeks. On 4-5 March a 'Secular Islam Summit', took place in Florida. Its aim was to counter the reactionary voices which have been speaking on behalf of Muslims, to foster solidarity for societal growth in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries, and to seek reformation in Islam. There were more than twenty speakers from across these areas. They advocated reform of education and promotion of human rights, maintaining that these values do not belong to ...