The New York City Progressive Muslim Meetup Group

The New York City Progressive Muslim Meetup Group Pages

Salaamu Alaykum,

We are a group of people who self-identify as Progressive Muslims. Since Ramadan 2005, we have been meeting weekly and have come to recognize certain shared values that characterize our group. We believe these values to be in harmony with Islam and have summarized them in our Statement of Principles :

Statement of Principles

·We recognize as a Muslim anyone who identifies herself or himself as a Muslim.

·We recognize the full diversity of Islamic traditions and the free participation therein as a sincere expression of faith.

·We recognize the equal worth, and the corresponding right to equal status, of all human beings.

·We affirm our commitment to social and economic justice and environmental protection; understanding that the full self-actualization of all people, in a safe and sustainable world, is a prerequisite for freedom, civility, and peace.

·We recognize, celebrate, and seek to engage with the great diversity of spiritual, religious, cultural, and philosophical inspirations of the past and present.

·We recognize critical reasoning and dynamic engagement with Islamic scripture and prevailing Islamic practices as an expression of devotion to, and esteem for, Islam and humanity.

·We recognize the corruptive influence that religion and state have on one another, and believe that their separation is vital to their mutual protection.

·We embrace the virtues of physical and spiritual nonviolence; refraining from causing injury to, or holding hatred for, another human being.

As we move forward, we hope to find ways to translate these words into actions.