Syrian ex-patriot Wafa Sultan remembers a day before the September 11 terrorist attacks, when the conflict between Islamofascist ideology and American freedom of conscience became sharply clear for her. Living in the U.S. after her family had fled Syria’s religious fanaticism, Sultan had been publishing a few editorials on the plight of women in Islam and how fundamentalism might breed terrorism. She thought she had been careful to remain respectful of Islam as a religion, but an anonymous caller from a “prominent Islamic organization” thought otherwise, warning her “Even in America, there are limits!”

 

Today Wafa Sultan speaks publicly, surrounded by armed guards. She was one of the featured speakers on March 4-5 for the Secular Islamic Summit in St. Petersburg, Florida. Believed to be the first of its kind, it was organized to provide a group platform for advocates of reform in Islam. Attracting reformist Muslim leaders and renowned ex-Muslim writers and speakers from the U.S. and abroad, it featured lectures on subjects such as “Inside the Jihadi Mind”, “Separating Mosque and State”, “Rediscovering Secular Traditions”, and “Islam and Terrorism: Facts, Reality and Possible Solutions”.

And predictably, it also attracted fire from some fundamentalist pro-Islamist organizations, including CAIR in the U.S. Some of that fire was so hot that it unfortunately kept featured attendees away from the summit. (Reportedly one was former Dutch MP and human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who nonetheless added her signature to the Summit’s declaration.) Those who didn’t show cited threats that they or their families would be harmed in their native Muslim countries.

The organizers expressed high hopes for the Summit. Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi saw it as “a sanctuary for a lot of people who have been intimidated by the Jihad and radical Islamist forces”. The goal was an atmosphere of open discussion of secular tradition, and a better Islamic future. Co-organizer Austin Dacey hoped it would be “the beginning of a coherent cross-culture movement for secularism in Islamic societies.”

Although the Summit is ground-breaking and has the potential to change the world, it was barely covered in the U.S. news media. CNN’s Glenn Beck attended the Summit and has had running coverage leading up to and during; the Wall Street Journal mentioned it within a column on the opinion page. St. Petersburg’s local newspaper ran one feature, and in that the reporter thoroughly covered not the Summit itself, but quoted extensively from those who opposed it. In contrast, it was reported by major Middle-Eastern news organizations, including 24-hour news channel Al-Arabiya and the Kuwait News Agency.

Prominent Canadian Muslim and writer Irshad Manji was also in attendance, although in Canada she lives with bullet-proof glass in the windows of her apartment. She believes that the West is in a unique position to allow a realistic dialogue on the de-radicalization of Islam: “Moderate Muslims denounce terror that’s committed in the name of Islam but they deny that religion has anything to do with it; reform-minded Muslims denounce terror that’s committed in the name of Islam and acknowledge that our religion is used to inspire it . . . it is here (the West) that we have the precious freedoms to think, express, challenge, and be challenged on matters of religion, without fear of government reprisal.”

But what about when the government isn’t the one threatening reprisal? “Even in America, there are limits. . .” The threat behind this statement loses its shock value for those who frequently speak out against radical Islam; most of us have experienced the threatening emails. But Islamists rarely really bother with the infidels - we’re already a lost cause. It’s the ex-Muslim, or Muslim - such as Manji and Sultan - who speak out for a better way and are thus considered betrayers, and those who have left Islam, who are in real danger. Under Islamic Law (and from the mouth of the Prophet himself) these people are to be killed.

The thing that infuriates me about these threats is that they demonstrate absolute disdain for our culture, customs and legal system. It is antithetical to our way of life that one would threaten someone else simply because s/he disagrees with, or leaves, a religion. It takes some nerve to be threatening people like this on American soil - it spits in all our faces. Still, the threats are not uncommon. I continually am amazed at the number of prominent voices who live in hiding in this country, because they have left Islam, or dare speak out against its radical factions.

The trouble is, those radical factions control the majority of mosques and the influential Islamic “rights” and “charitable” organizations in America. The voices of reform were long ago silenced, and the voices of moderation live in intimidation. The pro-Islamic lobby is clever: rather than simply threatening dissenters with death as would happen in their nations of origin, they cry “racism!”, “xenophobia!” and thereby encourage Islam-ignorant lawmakers to advocate for their supposed pain and suffering. Consider the controversial (and unbelievable!) Anti-Hate Speech legislation in Canada; consider the recent law in France that forbids a citizen journalist from video-taping a violent incident (where would we be without the Rodney King video?); consider the speech laws in Australia which landed two clergymen in jail for speaking against radical Islam.

In America, we are more free to dissent than anywhere on earth - still. But we need to keep it that way. American Islamic organizations criticize the freedom of expression such as that which took place at the Summit, yet use freedom of speech to justify their own activities. We must hold them accountable for this deception and twisting of our values. Journalists, clergy, politicians and other Muslims are regularly subjected to threats in America from radical Muslims. Ask Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who was not-so-politely scolded by CAIR after one radio program. Ask CNN’s Glenn Beck, who claims he is on the hit list. Ask Virginia Senator Virgil Goode, who knows firsthand what speaking against Islamists does.

It will be interesting to see what comes of the Secular Islamic Summit. It should be a source of pride to Americans that it happened here in America, where speech is truly free to an extent that even Europe doesn’t know. The Summit’s organizers and some 400 attendees see it as the beginning of a movement. They hope to discuss openly and question Islam thoroughly in years to come. The Summit issued a formal declaration of intent at its conclusion, which contains the statement: “We demand the release of Islam from its captivity to the totalitarian ambitions of power-hungry men and the rigid strictures of orthodoxy.”

This thinking comes on the heels of Ibn Warraq’s, the Summit’s Chair, who stated last year, “What we need now is an Age of Enlightenment in the Islamic world, of the Islamic mind-set or worldview. Without critical examination of Islam, it will remain unassailed in its dogmatic, fanatical, mediaeval fortress; ossified, totalitarian and intolerant. It will continue to stifle thought, human rights, individuality; originality and truth.”

If we as Americans truly support freedom and human rights in our country, we must insist that the Muslim leaders described above back off of individuals and groups who question orthodox Islam so that we can ensure free dissension in our homeland. In America, the First Amendment was designed to protect the very speech that incites controversy, specifically so that a free exchange of ideas can take place - only in this way can human society progress. Radical Muslim leaders in America need to just get used to it.

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For information on the Secular Islamic Summit:

Official Summit website - http://secularislam.org/blog/SI_Blog.php 

A thorough report/summary of the Summit - http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/03/secular-islam-summit-releases-st.html

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Susan MacAllen runs political blog & a contributor to Family Security Matters. She has written on wide topics over the last 20 years.