Egyptian Presidential Candidate: No Freedom in Islam

Raymond Ibrahim, Egyptian Presidential Candidate Says No Freedom in Islam

In a recent TV interview, Hazim Abu Ismail, a candidate for Egypt’s presidency with affiliations to both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, made clear that the hijab, or veil for women, would be enforced under his leadership. More importantly, along the way, he exposed his views more generally—that there is little freedom under Islam. Especially telling is the military analogy he used: being a Muslim is like being a member of the military; you must obey all its dictates, including dress codes. He fails to add, however, that, whereas much military service is voluntary, in Islam, if you are simply born to Muslim parents, then you have joined Islam—whether you like it or not. Hence, all the persecution of Muslim apostates. But as Abu Ismail puts it, “This is Islam.”

Now, I know you Islamophobes are shouting "Aha! The Egyptian revolution has failed! Like all Muslim revolutions, it ends in rule by fundamentalists. Islam is inherently radical. Obama is a fool!" etc.

But you'd be wrong. There is a more powerful force waiting in the wings to seize power. Australia's former Prime Minister explains ...

Kevin Rudd, Muslim women now at forefront

Egypt's revolution was diverse in many ways, not least because it was a movement of women as much as of men. Of the hundreds of thousands in Tahrir Square for those momentous 18 days, many were women...

Some people will dispute this. They will tell you Arabs and Muslims do not share our values. They will wrongly say Arab feminism is an oxymoron.

I see the world differently. I see a world where shared values dominate our lived experience globally. A world where our common denominators include falling in love, raising a family, thirsting for an education, pursuing fair work for fair pay, and resolutely yearning for freedom.

These values know no borders.

So, whilst the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis might have won the recent elections, it's not over yet. Stand by your Twitter, folks. Keep your eyes peeled on Facebook. The Egyptian Women's Liberation Front is coming. Stay tuned, I can feel it, can't you?

(Via VFR)

File under: Kevin sees the world differently.