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A totally Secularized Afghanistan looks like this
As salaamu alaykoum,
please post articles and images of what a Secularist Society contains which is absent in Afghanistan currently.
I will start with:
Gay Imams
South African Muhsin Hendricks is an Islamic cleric and a gay man.
He runs a foundation called The Inner Circle, which helps Muslims, who are struggling to accept their sexuality. He has come to the Netherlands to spread a simple message: “It’s okay to be Muslim and gay!”
It’s a message not everyone agrees with and the reason why Mr Hendricks is no longer officially a cleric.
Muhsin Hendricks looks a little tired. He is in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Amsterdam branch of gay rights organisation COC and he’s on a punishing schedule. There is enormous public interest in the “pink imam”, as he’s been dubbed.
Sin
But every trace of fatigue vanishes as Mushin Hendricks talks about his faith and his sexuality.
“Being Muslim and being gay are both strong identities. And I think that they are both innate identities for me. So somewhere along the line I had to reconcile the two.”
This was far from easy for Muhsin Hendricks. He was born into an orthodox Muslim family in South Africa. His grandfather was a cleric in one of Cape Town’s most prominent mosques. Mushin discovered at an early age that he was different. He played with dolls rather than cars. He was seen as being feminine and was teased as a result. All this was long before he even knew there was such a thing as homosexuality.
Mushin Hendricks took comfort in his faith, in spite of the fact that many Muslims believe it offers no place to homosexual feelings. Sexual love between two men or two women is prohibited. It is seen as one of the worst possible sins, punishable in some Islamic countries by death.
Sodom and Gomorrah
But Muhsin Hendricks decided to discover for himself what the Qur’an has to say about homosexuality. He pursued his Islamic studies in Pakistan. “It didn’t seem fair for a very merciful and compassionate God to condemn me for something that I didn’t choose.”
Muhsin Hendricks drew a striking conclusion from his studies: nowhere does the Qur’an state that homosexuality is forbidden. Not even in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Mushin refutes the interpretation that God destroyed the cities because men had sex with one another. He argues that the cities’ residents were punished for rape, not for consensual sex between men.
Divorce
The controversial cleric argues that there are even one or two Qur’an verses in which Allah acknowledges the existence of homosexuals. One example is in sura 24, verse 31. “It says that women have to put on extra clothing when they go out in public ... But not in front of those men who have no attraction for women. They must be the gay people,” he laughs.
Despite these discoveries, Mushin still did not feel able to acknowledge and openly express his own homosexual feelings. He married, and he and his wife had three children. Mushin’s wife was aware of his homosexuality but still tried to make the relationship work.
Mushin Hendricks’ knowledge of Islam and Arabic earned him respect in the mosques of Cape Town. But his feelings did not go away. After six years, his marriage ended in divorce and that was the moment when he officially came out of the closet.
Satanist
His mother fainted when she heard the news that her son Mushin was gay. But little by little she is beginning to understand. Some members of the family want nothing more to do with him.
Now Mushin Hendricks has met the love of his life. His partner follows another faith – Hinduism – and has not yet come out of the closet.
Mushin’s work at the mosque came to an abrupt end. His take on the relationship between homosexuality and Islam does not rhyme with the official doctrine. He has been branded a Satanist. Although he has never been physically threatened, he has to endure much abuse and criticism.
Empowerment
“Imams see me as a threat to their worldview and the way they see Islam. I don’t feel they should be threatened. It’s just another view that I would invite them to look at. My view allows queer Muslims to continue being Muslim but also to accept themselves for who they are.”
Muhsin Hendricks still sees himself as an Islamic cleric. With his foundation The Inner Circle he tries to help Muslims with their coming out. He gives empowerment workshops to make young people more self-aware. He will also give one here in the Netherlands: over sixty people have already signed up for it.
Visit the Inner Circle website or Facebook page
please post articles and images of what a Secularist Society contains which is absent in Afghanistan currently.
I will start with:
Gay Imams
South African Muhsin Hendricks is an Islamic cleric and a gay man.
He runs a foundation called The Inner Circle, which helps Muslims, who are struggling to accept their sexuality. He has come to the Netherlands to spread a simple message: “It’s okay to be Muslim and gay!”
It’s a message not everyone agrees with and the reason why Mr Hendricks is no longer officially a cleric.
Muhsin Hendricks looks a little tired. He is in the Netherlands at the invitation of the Amsterdam branch of gay rights organisation COC and he’s on a punishing schedule. There is enormous public interest in the “pink imam”, as he’s been dubbed.
Sin
But every trace of fatigue vanishes as Mushin Hendricks talks about his faith and his sexuality.
“Being Muslim and being gay are both strong identities. And I think that they are both innate identities for me. So somewhere along the line I had to reconcile the two.”
This was far from easy for Muhsin Hendricks. He was born into an orthodox Muslim family in South Africa. His grandfather was a cleric in one of Cape Town’s most prominent mosques. Mushin discovered at an early age that he was different. He played with dolls rather than cars. He was seen as being feminine and was teased as a result. All this was long before he even knew there was such a thing as homosexuality.
Mushin Hendricks took comfort in his faith, in spite of the fact that many Muslims believe it offers no place to homosexual feelings. Sexual love between two men or two women is prohibited. It is seen as one of the worst possible sins, punishable in some Islamic countries by death.
Sodom and Gomorrah
But Muhsin Hendricks decided to discover for himself what the Qur’an has to say about homosexuality. He pursued his Islamic studies in Pakistan. “It didn’t seem fair for a very merciful and compassionate God to condemn me for something that I didn’t choose.”
Muhsin Hendricks drew a striking conclusion from his studies: nowhere does the Qur’an state that homosexuality is forbidden. Not even in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Mushin refutes the interpretation that God destroyed the cities because men had sex with one another. He argues that the cities’ residents were punished for rape, not for consensual sex between men.
Divorce
The controversial cleric argues that there are even one or two Qur’an verses in which Allah acknowledges the existence of homosexuals. One example is in sura 24, verse 31. “It says that women have to put on extra clothing when they go out in public ... But not in front of those men who have no attraction for women. They must be the gay people,” he laughs.
Despite these discoveries, Mushin still did not feel able to acknowledge and openly express his own homosexual feelings. He married, and he and his wife had three children. Mushin’s wife was aware of his homosexuality but still tried to make the relationship work.
Mushin Hendricks’ knowledge of Islam and Arabic earned him respect in the mosques of Cape Town. But his feelings did not go away. After six years, his marriage ended in divorce and that was the moment when he officially came out of the closet.
Satanist
His mother fainted when she heard the news that her son Mushin was gay. But little by little she is beginning to understand. Some members of the family want nothing more to do with him.
Now Mushin Hendricks has met the love of his life. His partner follows another faith – Hinduism – and has not yet come out of the closet.
Mushin’s work at the mosque came to an abrupt end. His take on the relationship between homosexuality and Islam does not rhyme with the official doctrine. He has been branded a Satanist. Although he has never been physically threatened, he has to endure much abuse and criticism.
Empowerment
“Imams see me as a threat to their worldview and the way they see Islam. I don’t feel they should be threatened. It’s just another view that I would invite them to look at. My view allows queer Muslims to continue being Muslim but also to accept themselves for who they are.”
Muhsin Hendricks still sees himself as an Islamic cleric. With his foundation The Inner Circle he tries to help Muslims with their coming out. He gives empowerment workshops to make young people more self-aware. He will also give one here in the Netherlands: over sixty people have already signed up for it.
Visit the Inner Circle website or Facebook page
No Pants Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Former Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin poses for a photo with University of Waterloo students celebrating 'No Pants Day'.
No Pants Day is a prank that some groups have made into an annual event, happening on the first Friday in May. The prank is based on the premise of having people attend an event not wearing any pants (trousers). Participants are challenged to act as if there is nothing strange about not wearing pants in public. The liberation of breaking a social taboo and seeing the reaction of people not aware of the event generally makes the event fun for its participants. Different groups celebrate it on different days of the year.
There are unconfirmed reports that No Pants Day was first celebrated as early as 1985 or 1986.
Regional celebrations
Texas
The Knighthood of BUH at the University of Texas at Austin are advocates of the holiday. Austin has celebrated the day since 1997 according to a 1999 flyer.The holiday gets media attention every year, and as a result events celebrating No Pants Day have popped up in cities across the globe. Promoters state that the holiday is about not taking oneself seriously. The holiday is an example of surreal humor, which relies on an absurd situation (in this case, crowds of people walking around wearing no trousers).
Idaho
Boise, Idaho, celebrated its first No Pants Day in 2008.
Illinois
Saint Charles, Illinois, celebrated its first Pants Day in August 2007, it has been held every year since in mid August , and has become a local phenomenon. Participators are known to use the word ¨Pants¨often throughout the day, as well as wearing, No Pants.
Variations
In Australia, the radio station's 'today network' weekday afternoon program "The Hamish and Andy Show" (this year, the format has changed, whereby the "The Hamish and Andy Show" is only broadcast on Fridays), has a variation of this theme known as 'Pants Off Friday'. Every Friday, without fail, pants are not worn. The two radio programs hosts, Hamish & Andy, participate, while inviting their listeners to also participate in this Pants Off Friday. For photographic evidence, check their website
A version of No Pants Day is The No Pants Subway Ride, an annual event organized by New York City prank collective Improv Everywhere. In this event, members of the group enter a subway car at consecutive stops without pants in the middle of winter. Participants pretend that they do not know each other and if asked, claim that they simply "forgot" their pants. The first No Pants Subway Ride took place in 2002 with seven riders and has grown since then. In 2009 over 1,200 people participated in New York and over 1,000 more participated in 21 other cities around the world. The fact that the No Pants Subway Ride has become a global event with multiple cities participating on the same day has led to its confusion with No Pants Day.The No Pants Subway Ride celebrated in Second Friday in January.
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Pants_Day"
Categories: Community organizing | Unofficial observances
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Former Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin poses for a photo with University of Waterloo students celebrating 'No Pants Day'.
No Pants Day is a prank that some groups have made into an annual event, happening on the first Friday in May. The prank is based on the premise of having people attend an event not wearing any pants (trousers). Participants are challenged to act as if there is nothing strange about not wearing pants in public. The liberation of breaking a social taboo and seeing the reaction of people not aware of the event generally makes the event fun for its participants. Different groups celebrate it on different days of the year.
There are unconfirmed reports that No Pants Day was first celebrated as early as 1985 or 1986.
Regional celebrations
Texas
The Knighthood of BUH at the University of Texas at Austin are advocates of the holiday. Austin has celebrated the day since 1997 according to a 1999 flyer.The holiday gets media attention every year, and as a result events celebrating No Pants Day have popped up in cities across the globe. Promoters state that the holiday is about not taking oneself seriously. The holiday is an example of surreal humor, which relies on an absurd situation (in this case, crowds of people walking around wearing no trousers).
Idaho
Boise, Idaho, celebrated its first No Pants Day in 2008.
Illinois
Saint Charles, Illinois, celebrated its first Pants Day in August 2007, it has been held every year since in mid August , and has become a local phenomenon. Participators are known to use the word ¨Pants¨often throughout the day, as well as wearing, No Pants.
Variations
In Australia, the radio station's 'today network' weekday afternoon program "The Hamish and Andy Show" (this year, the format has changed, whereby the "The Hamish and Andy Show" is only broadcast on Fridays), has a variation of this theme known as 'Pants Off Friday'. Every Friday, without fail, pants are not worn. The two radio programs hosts, Hamish & Andy, participate, while inviting their listeners to also participate in this Pants Off Friday. For photographic evidence, check their website
A version of No Pants Day is The No Pants Subway Ride, an annual event organized by New York City prank collective Improv Everywhere. In this event, members of the group enter a subway car at consecutive stops without pants in the middle of winter. Participants pretend that they do not know each other and if asked, claim that they simply "forgot" their pants. The first No Pants Subway Ride took place in 2002 with seven riders and has grown since then. In 2009 over 1,200 people participated in New York and over 1,000 more participated in 21 other cities around the world. The fact that the No Pants Subway Ride has become a global event with multiple cities participating on the same day has led to its confusion with No Pants Day.The No Pants Subway Ride celebrated in Second Friday in January.
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Pants_Day"
Categories: Community organizing | Unofficial observances
no pants day hahahaha
By Adrian Goldberg Presenter, 5 live Investigates 
Like many gay people, British gay Muslims are pursuing marriage 
There is growing visibility of gay Muslims in Britain, although not all are confident about coming out 
!
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