Re: my very own khutba!

Itrath,

I am so sorry that this horrible thing happened to you today. Coming from a
Christian heritage I have seen nastiness like this taking place in churches
as well.  People get so wrapped up in their own comfortable views that they
don't stop to think twice about issues or value the need for honest
dialogue. For some people I think it takes the reality check of coming face
to face with something personally affecting that is outside the boundaries
of one's comfort zone to instigate real reflection and that may not happen
to everyone. I believe God blesses those it happens to.

I am proud of you and what you're doing. What you are doing is right. God
loves everyone - including those of all sexual orientations and all the
people in your mosque. Civil rights is about that. You have a lot of support
in your work, even if you can't see all of us face to face right now, we are
still all here.

Tiffany
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Itrath Syed" <[email protected]>
To: "pmn" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 4:42 PM
Subject: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] my very own khutba!


>
> salaam all,
>
> just wanted to tell you all about my experience today at juma.  as you
know
> i am running for election here for the ndp - a left wing social democratic
> party.  this riding has a large muslim community.  today at juma, after
> being disallowed to speak to the community as i had originally planned, i
> had the experience of listening to an entire khutba dedicated to me,
> explicating how the community should not support me.  it seems my support
> for equal civil rights in canada, which includes equal marriage
legislation
> that allows for same-sex marriage, puts me outside the muslim community.
>
> i grew up in this community, my parents built this community, and today is
> the last day that i will ever go to the local mosque.  i can be flippant
> about the complete stupidity of people who can't see that their own
> protection as a minority community is intimately connected to the
principle
> of the protection of all people in canada.  however, i must admit that i
am
> utterly devastated.  this is excruciatingly painful and i have never in my
> life felt more alone than i do today.  i have been receiving hate mail and
> the local muslim community paper is planning to print all of the letters
> they received in the next issue.  my parents are also being placed in the
> middle of this and that is perhaps the worst part of it all.
>
> itrath
>
>
>
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