SHS presents 'Secular Muslims: On Building Inclusive Religious Spaces'

[SHSPublicity 10]

Sheffield Humanist Society presents:

 

'Secular Muslims: On Building Inclusive Religious Spaces', with guest speaker Tehmina Kazi of the British Muslims for Secular Democracy.

 

Date: Tues 7th April 2015

Time: 7pm start

Venue: Farm Road Sports and Social Club, S2 2TP

 

Women, LGBT people, some disabled people, and members of minority sects and others dissenters have traditionally felt excluded in mainstream Muslim spaces. Tehmina Kazi will be talking about ways in which these minorities have created new and innovative spaces for themselves, and built a critical mass against the conservatives.

 

Tehmina is Director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy, an organisation which aims to raise awareness of the benefits of democracy and its contribution to a shared vision of citizenship. She is also a contributor to the Guardian newspaper.

 

Prior to joining BMSD, she was a Project Officer at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, where she worked on a ground-breaking inquiry into the Human Rights Act and its impact on public service delivery, undertaking research, writing policy briefings, facilitating focus groups and interviewing victims of human rights violations.

 

She also co-organised the first awards ceremony of its kind to acknowledge the achievements of the UK’s most powerful Muslim women, which received widespread coverage in the national press.

 

Tehmina has done extensive research on domestic and international human rights issues, particularly religious freedom, the detention of foreign nationals and gender-based violence. She regularly contributes to forums on civil liberties and citizenship.

 

The meeting itself will start at 7pm, but please feel free to turn up early for socialising if you wish.

 

When you arrive, go into the main entrance and the meeting room is directly on your right hand side.

 

After Tehmina's talk, there will be time for you to ask her some questions on the subject.

 

Entry to the meeting is free of charge, however the Society requests a voluntarily suggested donation of £3. This contribution goes towards paying for things such as room hire, advertising and speakers expenses.

 

We hope to see you there!

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/788206884582189/

Edited March 16, 2015 by SHSPublicity

[SHSPublicity 10]

If anyone is interested in this subject but can't attend the meeting, and would like to ask our guest speaker a question, please feel free to reply to this message, post on our Facebook page, or tweet at us (@SHShumanists) and use #AskTehmina

[redwhine 10]

There's footy at The Lane, so parking will be affected, but the earlier start may help.

[natjack 10]

What's a secular muslim? I mean, how does that work?

 

On a side issue, when they were building the mosque at Lowfield they said it was also for community use. This would seem like an ideal opportunity to actually use it for that purpose, instead of having to hire somewhere?

[redwhine 10]

On a side issue, when they were building the mosque at Lowfield they said it was also for community use.

Who are "they", please?

 

This would seem like an ideal opportunity to actually use it for that purpose, instead of having to hire somewhere?

Would the use of the building necessarily be free of charge by virtue of being used for the community?

[natjack 10]

Who are "they", please?

 

Would the use of the building necessarily be free of charge by virtue of being used for the community?

 

a.How it is not obvious to you who 'they' are? The people applying for the planning for the building, of course, who else would it be? It was stated as one of the benefits that the building would be available for community use.

 

b.I don't know about the cost, the impression given at the time was that it would be free, but it might be more accessible than the selected venue, and more relevant to the topic?

 

c. btw, do you know the answer to my first question? Or just jumping in, ready to take offence for no good reason?

[redwhine 10]

a.How it is not obvious to you who 'they' are?

It was obvious from this...

 

...when they were building the mosque at Lowfield they said it was also for community use.

 

...that you meant bricklayers, carpenters, etc. It seemed unlikely that they would have much to say about the future use of the building, so I asked a follow up question. Your answer...

The people applying for the planning for the building, of course, who else would it be? It was stated as one of the benefits that the building would be available for community use.

...still does't tell me who they were/are. I am no wiser as to how to contact 'them'.

 

b.I don't know about the cost, the impression given at the time was that it would be free...

My experience of booking venues is that you get what you pay for! But, to be serious, our previous location put their room hire up to £100 per night. Our current one (...Farm Road...) is much less expensive, and much more suitable.

 

...but it might be more accessible than the selected venue...

Farm Road has a large car park and is within easy walking distance of the bus/train stations. Bus and tram stops are just around the corner.

 

Where exactly is the Lowfield mosque, please? (I never heard of it until you suggested it.)

 

...and more relevant to the topic?

Muslim therefore mosque? That may apply to yesterday's topic, but Sheffield Humanists hold monthly meetings on a variety of topics. Recent speakers include Peter Tatchell and Jim Alkalili, and, next month, they will be welcoming Andrew Copson.

 

c. btw, do you know the answer to my first question?

This?...

What's a secular muslim?

If so, I can give you the dictionary definitions of 'secular' and 'muslim', but that wouldn't really help. I guess there would be as many different interpretations as there are secular muslims, just as there as many definitions of christians as there are christians (There are around 41,000 different christian denominations alone...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations

 

As there are reported to be approximately 41,000 Christian denominations...

...and not everbody in each sect agrees with the other members.)

 

The best I can do is suggest that a secular theist is someone who believes in a god, God or gods but does't want to force their belief on others, either politically or socially. I hope that helps.

 

Or just jumping in, ready to take offence for no good reason?

I took no offence and I don't see why you would suggest that as a possibility.

 

I'm always interested in following up suggestions that may help with any of my varied interests.

Edited April 8, 2015 by redwhine