The Progressive Muslim Union of North America (PMU) was a
liberal Islam
Liberalism and progressivism within Islam involve professed Muslims who have created a considerable body of Progressivism, progressive thought about Islamic understanding and practice. Their work is sometimes characterized as "Progressivism, prog ...
ic organization. The group officially launched on November 15, 2004 in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
but was disbanded in December 2006.
''The Progressive Muslim Union (PMU) is the result of almost two years of conversation and collaboration between a group of North American Muslims who are committed to representing and renewing our community in all its social, ideological and political diversity. PMU members range from deeply religious to totally secular, sharing in common a commitment to learning, political and social empowerment, a commitment to justice and freedom and a concern and love for the Muslim community.''
Woman imam
These differences came to a head in March 2005, when PMU endorsed a mixed-gender prayer led by a
woman imam, Professor
Amina Wadud
Amina Wadud (born September 25, 1952) is an American Muslim theologian. Wadud serves as Professor Emeritus of Islamic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and is also a visiting scholar at Starr King School for the Ministry. Wadud has writ ...
. The prayer was co-sponsored by the progressive Muslim online magazine Muslim WakeUp! and
Asra Nomani
Asra Quratulain Nomani (born September 7, 1965) is an American author and former Georgetown University professor. Born in India to Muslim parents, she earned a BA from West Virginia University in liberal arts in 1986 and an MA from the American ...
's
Muslim Women's Freedom Tour. The event, which was attended by about 150 congregants in New York City and heavily covered by international media, became a huge controversy, galvanizing both supporters and detractors around the world.
Opponents, in particular
M. A. Muqtedar Khan, argued that reform should be restricted to social matters, not matters of worship. Supporters, however, asserted that nothing in the Qur'an, the Muslim holy scripture, prevents a woman from leading mixed-gender prayers, and that restrictions are based on outmoded cultural and patriarchal notions.
PMU's co-chair, Pamela Taylor, reinforced PMU's position when she joined hands with the
Muslim Canadian Congress and the United Muslim Association to be the first woman to deliver the Friday sermon and lead the mixed-gender congregation in a mosque on July 1, 2005.
Current state
PMU is now defunct, due to a
schism. In July 2005, board member
Muqtedar Khan resigned. In August 2005, three of the four founding members, Omid Safi, Hussein Ibish and Sarah Eltantawi resigned along with Laury Silvers and Michael Muhammad Knight (Ahmed Nassef was the fourth founding member). When
Michael Muhammad Knight resigned, he predicted that PMU would collapse within one year.
In December 2006, chair Pamela Taylor and executive director Ani Zonneveld resigned from the board, citing unreconcilable conflicts with board member
Tarek Fatah. Soon after, Fatah, who controls PMU's e-mail discussion list, blocked posting by list members.
Two of the original eighteen leaders of PMU,
Ani Zonneveld and Pamela Taylor, created a new organization,
Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) in May 2007.
See also
*
Muslims for Progressive Values
*
Muslim Canadian Congress
*
Canadian Muslim Union
*
Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity
*
Progressive British Muslims
Progressive British Muslims (PBM) was a group of Liberal British Muslims
Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom, with results from the 2011 Census giving the total population as 2,786,635, or 4.4% of the total UK popul ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Muslims for Progressive ValuesProgressiveIslam.Organ on-line Muslim commons now affiliated with Muslims for Progressive Values.
PMUNA DebateA critical look at PMUNA and other Progressive Muslim related matters
- Article by PMU co-founder Omid Safi
ProgressiveMuslims.comoffers critiques and alternatives to the PMUNA-style movement, on the basis that "progress" means social justice for all
Islamic organizations based in the United States
Islamic organizations established in 2004
Liberal and progressive movements within Islam