Peace Be Unto Those Who Follow Right Guidance.

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A few days ago, a fellow Muslim counter-Racist sent me the following details of a two-day conference taking place in Birmingham, UK:

The Future of Islam in Britain
Dates: Monday 3rd March - Tuesday 4th March 2008
Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Venue: Room FP12, Frank Price Building, Selly Oak Campus, University
of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT

Muslims constitute an important part of British society. The majority come from different parts of the world, but a significant minority are relatively new and indigenous. In this context, the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham is planning a Spring Symposium entitled on the Future of Islam in Britain as part of Dr Haifaa Jawad's current work on the subject. The purpose is to investigate the intellectual contributions of British Muslims, especially new Muslims to the religion of Islam, and explore their roles in shaping our social and theological landscapes, focusing on the development of a 'British Islam'.

Speakers at the seminar include: Reza Shah-Kazemi on 'Martin Lings and the Universality of Islam', Colin Turner on 'Dreaming of Medina: Religious Externalism and its Impact on Muslims in Britain', Tim Winter on 'Yahya Parkinson (1874–1918)', Ibrahim Hewitt on 'British Muslims and Education for the Future', Yahya Birt on 'Conversion, Betrayal and Liberalism: Some Preliminary Reflections', Jeremy Henzell-Thomas on 'A Creative Minority for Social Renewal: The Challenge for Muslims in Britain Today', Sarah Joseph on 'Islam and the Media', Hasan Gai Eaton on 'Whither Islam in Contemporary Britain?', Yasin Dutton on 'The Future of British Islam: Politics, Economics, and Religion', Batool Al-Toma on 'New Muslims – Cultural Mediators and Bridge Builders', Salma Yaqoob on 'British Muslim Radicalism: Threat or Opportunity? ', Laura McDonald on 'Conversion, Identity and Social Activism: Making Space for British Islam', and Chris Allen on 'Normalising Muslims – The Role of British Muslims'.

For more information please contact:
Tel: 0121 415 8337
E-mail: h.a.jawad@bham. ac.uk

It is interesting to note that out of a total of 13 speakers, 11 of them are white (Reza Shah-Kazemi and Salma Yaqoub being the two non-white exceptions.)

Is this white/non-white ratio representative of Muslims who are "relatively new and indigenous" as well as of those "British Muslims" who are making/have made "intellectual contributions" connected with "shaping our social and theological landscapes, focusing on the development of a 'British Islam'"?

Quite possibly.

It is also interesting to note that a "fair" [=white] number of the white speakers, 10 of whom identify as Muslim (Chris Allen, a socialist, being the exception), 5 have some form of sufi affiliation/sympathies (Tim Winter [a.k.a. 'Abdul-Hakim Murad], Colin Turner, Jeremy Henzell-Thomas, Hasan Gai Eaton, Yasin Dutton). (At least two of the speakers, Reza Shah-Kazemi and Hasan Gai Eaton, are supporters of Traditionalism or Perennialist thought, which is generally regarded with suspicion by Muslims as being incompatible with Islam; in fact, this line of thought has been subjected to a detailed critique by Umar Vadillo, current leader of The Murabitun world movement, in The Esoteric Deviation in Islam (2003) and it should be noted that one of the other speakers at this event, Yasin Dutton, is a member of this movement.)

The Muslim who forwarded the conference announcement to me and a couple of other individuals commented on it as follows:

Check out this event. Look who is speaking on behalf of the Muslims about the future of Islam in the UK all - white boys and girls, not a dark face any where in sight. "Aryan Islam" in full effect. Please note this is in contrast with "Hellenistic Islam" that was was adopted by "Non-white Muslims" when they came into contact with Greek philosophy. This "Aryan Islam" is dispensing with the middle element, i.e. Greek philosophy, and [going] straight to the main man and woman.

Apart from his assertion that there will "not [be] a dark face any where in sight" at this event, which is problematic given the presence of Shah-Kazemi and Yaqoub at the event - both are "non-white" even if a "lighter" [=whiter] shade of "dark" and despite their possible "House Muslim" status - I think his comments are insightful.

In a previous post, I have spoken of the obligation that those who are classified as "white" and who self-classify as "Muslim" have of openly rejecting Racism (White Supremacy), becoming "Race Traitors", and thinking, speaking and/or acting towards the replacement of WS/R with Justice. I have also referred to the need to carry out the "project" of identifying who the Muslim "Race Traitors" are (if any).

Are any of the white people speaking at this event who self-classify as "Muslim" "Race Traitors"?

Time will tell.

However, I would like to conclude this post with a witty observation made by one of the other individuals to whom the above conference announcement was forwarded:

Pint of Guinness Islam

Guinness - white rises to the top, but everybody still intoxicated...

Notwithstanding the fact that intoxicants (khamr) are prohibited (haram) for Muslims and the possible "offence" associated with linking Muslims with alcohol, albeit symbolically, I think that given the British penchant for beer and the apparent dominance of white Muslims - or is that "White Muslims" - among those making "intellectual contributions" towards the development of a "British Islam", I think the metaphor is highly apt.

Peace