In April I was asked by Edip Yuksel, my brilliant accomplish and friend in Islamic Reform, to go to Kazachstan with him for a conference. My first reaction was ‘Kazachstan. Who wants us there?’ I told my wife, and she was reluctant about the idea, and we forgot it for a while. Edip mailed me again in late August and was thinking why not, the organizers paid everything, and even agreed for me coming only for 3 days. I work fulltime next to my studies, and it is not always easy to get days off, so my father picked me up from work to bring me to the airport.
One suitcase and one bag full with around 20 books, Qur’an tafsirs, dictionaries and a laptop, it was luck it all fell under hand luggage. The reason I agreed on going was curiosity, to spread information on rational Islam, to see Edip again, meet other scholars, and simply, because I love travelling. I love standing in the line waiting to go somewhere, love sitting cramped in a plane, because I am going somewhere. I didn’t sleep during the flight, which I had planned to do, but an idea came into my head and I started writing. The end result will be published later as an article. As I was the only passenger still awake, the stewardess came to see if I needed something. The seat next to me, and the seat plank, were stacked with books making it sag through to its maximum. She asked what I was writing and starting looking at the books and seeing the word “Qur’an” on almost every one of them. “I am a theologian” gave her reason not to freak out, and started telling about modern Islamic thought. It is weird that I always have the feeling to be careful with having the Qur’an out in the open when travelling. We still have much to do to make the Qur’an seen as valuable for mankind outside of the Muslim world.
After a seven hour flight we landed at Friday dawn, the red light shining behind beautiful mountains surrounding the whole area. It was a stunning view. Admitting, I had some preconceived notions about Kazachstan, had read the Wikipedia page of the hosting city, Almaty (meaning apple), and as an old Soviet union country, expected everything to be old, dirty, messy and corrupt. Suddenly I stood in a small but clean, new airport, where soldiers spoke perfect English, were very patient and friendly (my visa wasn’t arranged, but they still helped me instead of deporting me), everywhere new technology, flat-screen TV’s and computer screens.
The only Soviet remains where the unbelievable large soldier hats, and the poor taxi-drivers constantly asking me to go with them. The person picking me up was Dinmuhammad, a businessman who wants to study rational Islam that is not blinded by history and tradition. He explained me how to week had gone with the other scholars who where already there.
They invited all of us because they have many questions, and they want to learn. Instead of emailing us, they just flew us over. During the drive you did not see old Soviet cars, no, here you saw more new deluxe cars then even in Holland; Lexus, BMW etc. Again surprised, I started asking DinMuhammad about the country, and he explained the wealth coming in due to the oil and gas, and how Kazachstan is becoming the business centre for central-Asia. The city’s are doing well, many young people going to college and universities, and the government although run by a group that is in power for more then a decade, is tolerant and secular. Islam is run by a government agency like in many Muslim countries, and the situation and scenery reminded me of Turkey. The country is progressing and I felt a very friendly and open environment.
Dinmuhammad, the friendly giant.
We arrived at the hotel, which was located high up a hill, surrounded by the mountains. The rooms were huge and luxury. I was starting to see we were getting a star-treatment. In the hallway I met the Cattons who I met in America 2 years ago, and pounded on Edip’s hotel room door. It is always such a pleasure to be with him. Edip is the one who encouraged me to start writing 4 years ago, and through this starting my studies in Theology. The struggle of Islamic Reform is gaining grounds because of his courage, expertise, humour and never wavering faith that change will come.
I took a short shower and went for breakfast, sitting there were most of the scholars including Imam Abu Eesa, imam of a London mosque and scholar in Egypt. His question immediately was;’ I hope you believe in the Sunnah’. I laughed and told him that history is always a mess, so I respect certain traditions that can be rationalized and are useful (like we do in all cultures), but I only see the Qur’an as coming from a divine source. It seems the Imam didn’t knew what to expect from the conference, as it turns out most of the scholars were from the modern groups who do not view Islamic history, thought and traditions as divine, and only use the Qur’an. Imam Abu Eesa follows Salafi thought, and thus very orthodox, patriarchal and exclusive on certain subjects, but he was open-minded and honest. He is funny, articulate, warm and intelligent. It was a pleasure to meet a traditional scholar who is open for debates and differences in opinion.
We went to the auditorium where Edip was giving a lecture and I started filming. But I hadn’t slept for almost 2 days, and eventually went back to my room to sleep, being truly exhausted. In the afternoon I went back to the auditorium where several Kazakhstani’s were interviewing Hassan Mahmud. Hassan Mahmud is a screenplay writer, a researcher on Sharia and member of the Muslim Canadian Council. They asked me to join Hassan and to answer their questions. This turned out into a debate between the Kazakhstani’s and Hassan and me. It was very fruitful and productive. I discussed the concept how the Qur’an demands from each person and nation to reflect on the Qur’an on their own (41:53), as each person and nation is a ‘horizon’(ufuq). Then they presented an understanding of their own concerning mamalakat aymanukum (persons who you are responsible for/those you possess), in their country there are many immigrants which Kazakhs are not allowed to marry legally, thus these cannot become their legal zaujat (wife), but the not-acknowledged-by-law wives can become the ones who they live with and take care off since mamalakat aymanukum refers to a person under your protection and care. Thus the males give these wives all the rights the Qur´an gives them, and will treat them as legal wives, even though their own government doesn´t support this. And they agreed the Qur’an doesn’t allow multiple wives. The Qur’an only talks about the nisaa (women) from the yateem (widows/fatherless children), referring to women who were widows and had children who need a father. Their understanding of mamalakat aymanukum I saw as a perfect example how the Qur’an is applicable in every nation as long as each generation and nation approach it by themselves as much as possible.
Hassan and I had a long talk while our Kazakh hosts were discussing among themselves. Hassan is very intelligent and passionate in his mission; to show that the historical Sharia and Fiqh (law and application) are contradicting and oppressive towards humans, and especially women. The majority of Fiqh was created apart from the Qur’an, and in a time when historical traditions (Hadith) were dominant in how to approach the Qur’an and subjects not discussed in it. He has memorized almost all Hadith of the major collections by number, and when we discussed a certain hadith with Imam Abu Eesa, he could quote it directly and tell the volume and number. He takes this mission very seriously and he has written a book about it in his original language, Bangla, and he is now translating it into English. He also has written beautiful screenplays, wherein he shows a family that has to deal with certain problems through Sharia, and then let that family quote the books directly to show the audience how oppressive and nonsensical they are. Entertainment is the true way to spreading your message. His videos are posted at the Audio/Video section.
Giving my lecture, with the translator next to me.
That evening we had a large meal and long discussions and laughs. It was a beautiful group to be with, and considered myself blessed to have been among them. We discussed new ideas of how to spread Islamic reformist thought and how to work together. The food was delicious and we got class treatment. One of the conference hosts promised us that Hassan Mahmud, Imam Abu Eesa, Tufan Kadere and myself could go to the mountains in the morning. I wanted to go to a Turkish/Kazakh sauna together with Edip, but we had missed each other and they went without me. Instead I ended up with Abu Eesa and some of our hosts at the restaurant for a late discussion. It was mostly about interpretation and the traditional methods of tafsir (Qur’an exegesis). It was after midnight when I returned to my room and suddenly a knock and giggling (yes, giggling) at my door. Edip had just returned from the sauna, and we had a long night catching up and planning. Edip and I know each other for years, and I couldn't choose a better companion on our mission. His humour and wit are always a joy. It was at least after 3 O'clock when he left. Jet-lag is a weird thing, your body and mind are confused and tired, but it took a while before I could sleep.
The next morning, professor Philosophy of Religion Murtaza Bulutay picked us up in his SUV, and we started going up to the mountains. He explained how in the Soviet times, the mountain ski-resorts were accessible for everybody, but now it is of course a luxury not everybody can afford. During the ride, we all introduced each ourselves on camera, and when Imam Abu Eesa started to tell his story, the discussion became very interesting. Born and raised in the UK, and his parents coming from Northern Pakistan, he had a mixed upbringing. After a pharmaceutical study, he started to study Islam in the UK and in Cairo. Now he is an imam at a London mosque, student of a famous Egyptian Hadith scholar, and involved with an Islamic organisation through which he gets invited abroad for lectures and debates. As his family lives in Northern Pakistan/Southern Afghanistan, they get in contact with the Taliban frequently. Abu Eesa explained how the original Taliban were just students who wanted to help their people to get liberated from the Russians during the 80’s, after that war the groups turned on each other, and that is the mess we see today.
I asked him if he knows how they are funded, he believes most of the money just comes from the farmer villages, not from the opium trade as is mostly claimed in the media. As there are many different groups, who mostly run their affairs tribally and not through traditional Islam, it would not surprise me if some groups do make use of the opium trade. There is to much profit involved with the opium trade that it is impossible not to end up also with the different Taliban groups. Abu Eesa has been in his family’s area several times and had preached against the Taliban’s ways of conduct and thought. “They have turned against Muslims, and the Prophet said that such people are not of us.” Because of this it is not possible for Abu Eesa to return to his family’s area as the Taliban would kill him. I do not agree with Abu Eesa’s approach to Islam, but his honesty and courage can never be doubted. He also explained that people are confused, in the Taliban, Muslims in the villages. They are not well organised and not guided properly, and thus the ideas of what is Islam, what are Muslims, what is the right course of action and conduct in certain situations such as war, all of these create the chaos we see today.
We ended halfway up the mountain on a large dam, above the famous Almaty ice skating range where in Soviet times many records had been broken. Although with a bit of cheating since the air is thinner at that high altitude of course.
The Almaty ice skating range. It is getting rebuilt to compete for the Winter Olympics.
Imam Abu Eesa standing on the dam ledge filming.
A bird trainer stood there. This beautiful 3-year old eagle was stunning to have up close. We all took pictures with it.
We also went to some other spots in the mountains where you had a view of Almaty city. Then we returned to the hotel for lunch. All the while we just kept on discussing and discussing. After that we all went to the auditorium for a new session. All the invited scholars and speakers and hosts were present. Another debate (I had missed the first ones) between Imam Abu Eesa and Edip was going to take place and I was the moderator. Edip’s Theometer or Sectometer, a multiple choice questionnaire that focuses on the differences between traditional beliefs and the Qur’an, was the subject were each person had to the answer the question and then discuss it. Although most of the questions indeed expose a direct contradiction between traditional Islam and the Qur’an (like stoning for adultery), some represent differences in interpretation and not direct contradictions, so I tried to skip those. When the question about stoning for adultery came up, the clarification of Imam Abu Eesa showed the weakness of traditional interpretation. Imam Abu Eesa had repeated multiple times during my stay that the Sunnah of the Prophet explains the Qur’an, as otherwise we cannot understand the Qur’an correctly and many passages would remain unclear.
Although I agree that some passages in the Qur’an are related to historical events, the majority of the Qur’an’s message, is understandable purely based on its linguistic meaning. So when stoning came up, the contradiction of traditional thought became clear. Chapter 24, Surah an-Nur, which discusses the punishment for proven or confessed adultery, begins with these verses:
24:1 A chapter which We have sent down and imposed, and We have sent down in it
clear revelations that you may remember.
And directly after this, very clear commands are given concerning adultery. The idea that these commands need any explanation because they miss something, that they are incomplete (stoning for married persons), contradicts the very verse that proceeds it! The debate has been taped and will be uploaded later, so I will leave further details out. It was an interesting debate, and more of these discussions are necessary to reform Islam. Eventually all the differences that are discussed revolve around if a person approaches the Qur’an based on its linguistics alone, whereby using historical or scientific records as an extra explanatory source is an exception, or believing the historical records are necessary part of the Qur’anic/Divine message and explain it.
There are overlapping beliefs (belief in one God, Qur’an as a divine message, Muhammad as a prophet, belief in life after death etc.) coming from these two methodologies, but the majority of differences have a vast impact on the resulting society it can produce. The linguistic methodology, accepting only the Qur’an as a divine guide, allows a divers, pluralistic, secular, liberal and humane society that doesn’t need to have 6th century Arabian behaviour integrated in its culture and thought system/philosophy. The historical methodology, whereby historical records are part and largely determine the message of the Qur´an, is less, or, depending on school of thought, not liberal, they all discourages pluralism and has a strict and dogmatic determined law system which doesn’t allow secularism and upholds patriarchy.
The historical method limits the potential of the Qur’an to be a Huddan-anNass, a guidance for mankind, and has many beliefs and dogma’s that are contradicting with global ethics (values all of humanity agree on like liberty, freedom of religion, equal rights for all whatever your sex or creed) and with rational scientific thought. Also it lacks flexibility since many of it beliefs are fixed by historical and cultural frameworks where these beliefs were formed in. The Qur’an’s historical framework is only the Arabic language (a cultural determined method of communication) and the historical moments and advices/commands it mentions to the Prophet and his followers (about his family, some battles, cultural behaviour concerning women etc.), and the Arabic language is flexible and general enough to be understood and used outside of its historical background and the historical related verses are few and simple to recognize as a temporal command or advice.
Sunnah and Hadith based interpretation tries to link every verse of the Qur’an to a historical account or idea, and thus places every verse in a historical, cultural or mythological framework and understanding. Many of these accounts were written hundreds of years after the events or moment of revelation itself when the Muslim empire had gone through several civil wars, uprisings and mass integration by Christian (hundreds of different sects), Jewish, Zoroastrian, Manichean and pagan beliefs from dozens of different cultures. And these influences are clearly seen, for example, the majority of the explanations given about old Prophets in the Qur’an are mostly taken straight from the Bible and Rabbinic Talmud (Jewish exegesis), the Qur’an never discusses Eve (Hawa) or her being an example of the nature of women, but there are plenty of Hadith resembling the Bible saying she was made out of the rib of Adam.
End of part 1