Liberals vs. Conservatives: Liberals vs. Conservatives: Where do Muslims Stand?Where do Muslims Stand?

SIA Chai-ChatSIA Chai-ChatNovember 2, 2012November 2, 2012

Notes from the interactive discussionNotes from the interactive discussion

Liberals vs. Liberals vs. Conservatives: Where do Conservatives: Where do

Muslims Stand?Muslims Stand?

Popular Impressions of Popular Impressions of “Liberals”“Liberals”

ObamaObama ““Non-religious”Non-religious” Gay rightsGay rights AbortionAbortion ProgressiveProgressive CaringCaring Hipster Hipster Tolerant/permissiveTolerant/permissive Keynesian Keynesian

Popular Impressions of Popular Impressions of “Conservatives”“Conservatives”

OrthodoxOrthodox TraditionalTraditional Hawish/Pro-warHawish/Pro-war Pro-lifePro-life Pro-gunPro-gun ““Religious”Religious” Limited governmentLimited government Anti-Islam/Clash of CivilizationsAnti-Islam/Clash of Civilizations Bigotry Bigotry Pro-IsraelPro-Israel Reagan/BushReagan/Bush Ayn RandAyn Rand

Popular UnderstandingPopular Understanding

The topic and its focusThe topic and its focus Whereas Muslims share many social values with

the conservatives, they often align their politics with the liberals in this country. This chai-chat seeks to unpack this paradox and its implications. It will take a critical look at the liberal and conservative positions on several social issues from an Islamic perspective – including abortion, sex-ed programs, school prayer, gay marriage, social welfare, hyper consumerism, and obscenity and other problems in pop culture. This chai-chat will allow us a space to share our thoughts on these issues and think about ways to construct our Muslim stance and politics between and beyond the social agendas of the above two camps.

A major concern: principle based politics A major concern: principle based politics vs. pragmatic politicsvs. pragmatic politics

Another major concern: we start Another major concern: we start internalizing the grammar and principles of internalizing the grammar and principles of other political ideologies that we sometimes other political ideologies that we sometimes pragmatically align with – such as “my body pragmatically align with – such as “my body is my own business”is my own business”

Need to be conscious of the Islamic Need to be conscious of the Islamic ideology/framework and how it may be ideology/framework and how it may be different from other positions/ideologies different from other positions/ideologies A discussion on constructing our Muslim A discussion on constructing our Muslim

stance and politics should start with having stance and politics should start with having our Islamic framework thought through our Islamic framework thought through

Islamic FrameworkIslamic Framework Beliefs/Absolutes/MetaphysicsBeliefs/Absolutes/Metaphysics

GodGod SoulSoul Journey (Ma’ad)/Hereafter/ProgressJourney (Ma’ad)/Hereafter/Progress Spiritual Knowledge/Guidance/ProphecySpiritual Knowledge/Guidance/Prophecy

Life and seerat of noble personalitiesLife and seerat of noble personalities Values and Principles/AxiomsValues and Principles/Axioms

JusticeJustice Seeking the truth/knowledgeSeeking the truth/knowledge Human Life/DignityHuman Life/Dignity Suffering (immediate and long term)Suffering (immediate and long term) Obligation/Solidarity with Ummah/Human BeingsObligation/Solidarity with Ummah/Human Beings Emphasis on Community/Family Emphasis on Community/Family ServitudeServitude Creating a just societyCreating a just society

ApplyApply

Liberal FrameworkLiberal Framework Beliefs/Metaphysics/AbsolutesBeliefs/Metaphysics/Absolutes

Skepticism/Relativist vs. HumanistSkepticism/Relativist vs. Humanist PragmaticPragmatic [Tension between the following two][Tension between the following two]

Non-interference Non-interference Collective good/ProgressCollective good/Progress

Values, Principles, AxiomsValues, Principles, Axioms Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

(individualistic)(individualistic) Harm principlesHarm principles ChoiceChoice Collective goodCollective good

ApplyApply

ConservativesConservatives Like liberals, conservatives have different Like liberals, conservatives have different

strands and come from (even more) strands and come from (even more) diverse orientationsdiverse orientations

Catholic Catholic Muslim Muslim EvangelicalEvangelical AmishAmish Need to distinguishNeed to distinguish

Political ideology: American Conservatism Political ideology: American Conservatism Political Party: RepublicansPolitical Party: Republicans

Beyond Two or Three Beyond Two or Three Camps: Muslim ConcernsCamps: Muslim Concerns Conservative parallelsConservative parallels

Moral issuesMoral issues Liberal parallelsLiberal parallels

ToleranceTolerance EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism

Socialist ParallelsSocialist Parallels Critique of CapitalismCritique of Capitalism

Movements/CausesMovements/Causes Occupy Wall Street Occupy Wall Street EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism

Can’t fit Islam neatly into how we Can’t fit Islam neatly into how we understand understand “Conservative”/Principlist/Absolutist/“Conservative”/Principlist/Absolutist/Progressive… within Progressive… within liberal/leftist/conservative traditions, liberal/leftist/conservative traditions, even when there are parallel in even when there are parallel in values and standpointsvalues and standpoints

Thinking beyond binariesThinking beyond binaries We do not need to subscribe to one or the other camp in the We do not need to subscribe to one or the other camp in the

national politicsnational politics Issue-based politics on the national level or community/local level (such as, Issue-based politics on the national level or community/local level (such as,

mobilization for school)mobilization for school) Pragmatic politicsPragmatic politics

““They come for gays today, tomorrow they will come for us”They come for gays today, tomorrow they will come for us” It cannot be a yes or no answer. Rather, we need to develop a It cannot be a yes or no answer. Rather, we need to develop a

nuanced perspective on specific social issuesnuanced perspective on specific social issues Pragmatic/Realistic/liberal politics within the American context, Pragmatic/Realistic/liberal politics within the American context,

should it also become our Islamic principle? [internationalization should it also become our Islamic principle? [internationalization problem]problem]

We need informed discussion in our communitiesWe need informed discussion in our communities Rather than taking a defensive or parochial position, we should ask: Rather than taking a defensive or parochial position, we should ask:

What Islam can offer to this society?What Islam can offer to this society? Different avenues of activismDifferent avenues of activism

National National CodificationCodification Local community/schools/environmental and other movementsLocal community/schools/environmental and other movements Advocacy Advocacy

What Islam Can Offer to What Islam Can Offer to America?America?

Advocacy/Dialogue IAdvocacy/Dialogue I Different avenues of activism (not just presidential voting)Different avenues of activism (not just presidential voting)

National National CodificationCodification Local community/schools/environmental and other movementsLocal community/schools/environmental and other movements Advocacy Advocacy

Not two step, but could be simultaneous: Not two step, but could be simultaneous: Learn, self-building, have an informed opinionLearn, self-building, have an informed opinion Process of engagement/dialogue is learning itselfProcess of engagement/dialogue is learning itself

Similarly, we can work on generating awareness and building Similarly, we can work on generating awareness and building activism in our communities and simultaneously work outside of activism in our communities and simultaneously work outside of our communities and bridging the gap between our communities our communities and bridging the gap between our communities and outside society (but not to assimilate in the mainstream and outside society (but not to assimilate in the mainstream politics, but rather with the concern of “what Islam can offer to politics, but rather with the concern of “what Islam can offer to America”)America”)

It’s not necessarily “imposing” through law, through “dialogue” It’s not necessarily “imposing” through law, through “dialogue” and cultural and social changeand cultural and social change

We should not adopt a “minority” mentality… We should not adopt a “minority” mentality… Focus on systematic changeFocus on systematic change

Grassroots? Grassroots?

What Islam Can Offer to What Islam Can Offer to America?America?

Advocacy/Dialogue IIAdvocacy/Dialogue II Inform and engage our communities tooInform and engage our communities too Identify the roots of the problem, choose our Identify the roots of the problem, choose our

battles wisely and spend our energies smartlybattles wisely and spend our energies smartly Look at the movement of the Prophets – they focused on Look at the movement of the Prophets – they focused on

the root cause-s in their movement (instead of picking the root cause-s in their movement (instead of picking identity/parochialistic politics, or particular causes). They identity/parochialistic politics, or particular causes). They focused on reforming the hearts, minds, and social focused on reforming the hearts, minds, and social system (starting with the hearts and minds). system (starting with the hearts and minds).

The implication is that Muslims must not just concern The implication is that Muslims must not just concern themselves with matters of socio-economic concerns, but themselves with matters of socio-economic concerns, but also moral and ideological concerns (including what’s also moral and ideological concerns (including what’s presented in pop culture, how history is taught in presented in pop culture, how history is taught in textbooks, or science for that matter, etc.)textbooks, or science for that matter, etc.)

Matrix of SuccessMatrix of Success Principle-oriented vs. end-orientedPrinciple-oriented vs. end-oriented Long-term perspective of hereafter/Ma’adLong-term perspective of hereafter/Ma’ad