In other words they are basically conscientious people (as humanists ought be) who see the hate and the accusations unfairly and unjustifiably levelled against Muslims, but though they are not "Muslims", they don't care to use that as an excuse to sit back and let the wrong go unchallenged if they can in any way refute it by speaking up and bringing to the table objective facts that prove the contrary.

To Muslims who may object to the idea of "Muslims" not believing in or practicing Islam, the simple answer is consider us non-Muslims who strongly support Muslims against the malicious hate, the unjustifiable fabricated lies and myths propagated against them by some very vocal and loud, basically intolerant people. We hasten to add "intolerant people" unrepresentative of the vast majority, indeed, the overwhelming majority of people in the west, who, as we discuss on this site, have displayed non-prejudice, fairness, compassion, justice, and enlightenment repeatedly in many real life situations over the years, unlike their intolerant nationals.

So:

1-Secular humanist Muslims are Muslims who generally do not follow some or all of the ritualistic/ theological aspects of organized Islam, but whose real association with Islam is their empathy with innocent Muslim people suffering oppression, foreign occupation, human rights abuses, prejudice, discrimination, or intolerance, among other wrongs.

2-Their concern is that Islam has been for too long unfairly maligned by the west, and deserves to be spoken up for based on the actual conduct of the vast majority of its followers, both historically and at present (See next segment "What is HaSM?").

3-They are extremely disturbed by and unequivocally condemn the wrongs committed by some misguided Muslims in the name of Islam, especially in terms of violence against innocent people.

4-They also feel that reinterpreting sharia Islamic law in light of prevalent conditions in the world is something - as all evidence suggests - clearly provided for in both The Quran and the hadith/sunna (the Prophet's sayings/conduct), and therefore, in the cause of advancing Muslim communities in the world, it needs to be reinterpreted in light of modern times.

5-They believe in a strict separation of church and state, and that spirituality belongs solely within the individual, or additionally, between the individual and the god he or she believes in.

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What is HaSM?

Humanist and Secular Muslims (HaSM) is based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. This web site was inaugurated on June 13th, 2008.

HaSM is, relatively speaking, quite unlike any other organization, Muslim or otherwise, both in its goals and its world view.

HaSM tries to speak for the tens of millions of secular, non religious, humanist and atheist Muslims who share something in common: their concern for Muslim peoples and their welfare, advancement and success in the world, and a loyalty to the people and culture from which they, their parents, or ancestors originated.

That loyalty and that concern emerged and were reinforced as a result of the continual unjustified and malicious hate and vilification campaigns which have been directed at Muslims by some in the west for many decades.

The main reason for empathizing with Muslims, is that both history as well as contemporary events have proved unequivocally and indisputably how good, decent, kindhearted, forgiving, hospitable, friendly, peaceable, peace-loving, peaceful, humane, human, compassionate and accepting of others they are.

They are absolutely undeserving of the hate they face at the hands of those who committed volumes upon volumes of the worst atrocities in the history of humankind, in every corner of the globe they occupied, and against every race, faith, ethnic group, land, people, nationality, and culture they could get their hands on, and then destroy, make suffer, exploit, enslave, subjugate, torture, torment, humiliate, rob, loot, and pillage, in any which way they could, without showing any mercy, humanity, compassion or care, doing it all indifferently, callously, and inhumanely, by slave-driving them, pushing them aside into reservations, ethnically cleansing them, forcefully converting them, or simply exterminating them, with extensive evidence for each one of those barbaric crimes.

That simple comparison exposes the extent to which the situation is inequitable, and it’s what compels any decent, forthright, honest, civilized human being of any faith - Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism etc - or no faith, worthy of being called human at all, to speak up in defense of the profoundly and unjustly wronged.

That less than praiseworthy history mentioned briefly above, of itself, in no way diminishes from those good westerners who abound in the western and Christian worlds (and all other cultures and faiths, of course).

There are the good and the evil in every group, but we should never judge the majority by the actions of some, in a particular time frame, under particular circumstances, no matter how sensational those actions.

So for example the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, pedophile priests scandal, residential schools scandal, officially sanctioned lynchings and segregation right into the middle of the 20th Century in the nation that touts its Judeo-Christian values, six million Jews massacred because they weren’t Christians in the continent of ballet, opera and fine arts, the continent that called itself “civilized” compared to the savages of the rest of the world, and much, much more wrong still does not justify judging all of the western world, or of western society, or all of the "Judeo-Christian" tradition, by those horrific wrongs.

We do not engage in any manner in the contemptible methods used by haters of Islam who use the wrongs of some against all Muslims. The only reason we bring those facts of history up is because our hand is forced by those haters to expose and emphasize those wrongs only as a response to the attacks of those haters on Muslims. Otherwise we would have never cared to even have this website or advocacy group whose main purpose is to respond to such hate and intolerance.

Why HaSM was created

In brief, a niche existed for conscientious non-religious/secular/atheist "Muslims" who felt loyalty to the religion and people of their origins: Islam and Muslims.

HaSM encompasses the opinions of any Muslims - religious or otherwise - from around the world who speak up for wronged Muslims and Islam, as well as an array of opinions from non-Muslims who may have experienced Muslims in their native lands, or have studied Islam etc. and know that what is said about Muslims sweepingly is unfair, and have the courage and integrity to speak up in defence of Islam and Muslims when they are wronged.

Who are the members of HaSM?

Anyone who shares our goals and views can become a member of HaSM. Membership is free and we welcome all input and submission of articles and thoughts.

HaSM emphasizes unequivocally its members' full and total respect for the beliefs of others, their prophets, their holy books and their God(s). That respect applies to all religions and their followers.

We equally respect Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Baha'is, all Muslim sects and tariqas (Sunni, Shia, Ismaili, Ahmadeya, Sufi, bohra, etc.), and followers of all other religions who may be passionately religious but use their strong faith to advance the causes of peace, humanity, harmony, global understanding, justice and kindness. We feel that such open-minded yet strongly religious people can play a significant role in bringing the world together.

Our World View

Humanism dominates our view of proper human conduct.

Our world view is based solely on what consensus there is in secular law and globally accepted views of morality and ethics across nations of the world.

Rules or laws attributed solely to the divine in any religion are significant in our world view only where they advance the causes of human rights, peace, and harmony, or, conversely, where they directly or indirectly infringe upon the rights of others, or hinder the causes of peace and harmony, in which case they are a matter of concern to us.

HaSM's goals and objectives

There are four focal goals for HaSM.

1-To repudiate and refute the hateful attacks and smear campaigns of those who are intolerant of Muslims and Islam, a goal which includes speaking up against the wrongs unjustifiably practiced against Muslims in some parts of the world. This also includes speaking up for occupied/oppressed/abused Muslims in general, or Muslim women in particular in places where they face severe abuse/oppression by fellow Muslims, or Muslim gays in similar situations.

We don't need to be, nor have to be practicing or devout Muslims to discern injustices and gratuitous hate directed against Muslims and Islam to speak up in their defence, or in defence of wronged Muslims (women, gays) within Muslim communities.

2-To forcefully speak up against misguided Muslims abusing the rights of non-Muslims anywhere in the world. It is not in the Islamic tradition and shouldn't be allowed to become so now.

Needless to say, all forms of violence against innocent people are categorically condemned.

3-To vigorously speak up for the rights of Muslims like ourselves to make their own choices regarding religion and religious practice. We stand up for the right of non-religious "Muslims" to not practice Islam or believe in organized Islam; to change religions; to critique Islam objectively and respectfully; or to abandon religion altogether.

Therefore:

HaSM strongly rejects any interference or condemnation from other Muslims or Islamic authorities of the right of Muslims to make their own choices in life.

4- And, as much as we defend Islam and Muslims on matters they are wrongly accused of by the west, we equally expose and challenge the real problems within Muslim societies, problems which are indisputably the creation of some "scholars" and interpreters of Islam over the ages, and are easily challenged. One example of such problems is laws regarding apostates. A second concerns intolerance toward dissent and diversity of opinion, including respectful constructive and objective critique of the Quran or Hadith (the prophet's sayings). We attempt to explain in various ways why those two problems in particular harm rather than benefit Islam. Other examples include women's and gays' rights.

So HasM strongly condemns Muslims who would harm fellow Muslims simply because they worship differently, or freely critique and debate Islam and its practice, or because they demand equal and full rights for women and those with different sexual orientations.

How HaSM works on its objectives

The means by which we deal with and address the aforementioned issues is through objective, scholarly, intellectual, respectful, balanced arguments and reasoned critical analyses. Where appropriate, or there's a need, copies of such analyses are sent to relevant entities, officials, personalities, bodies, organizations, governments and/or parliamentary committees all over the world as a means of informing them, or improving or correcting their understanding and knowledge of Islam, as well as debunking the misunderstandings, misperceptions, and myths about it and its followers that may be widely held in the west, and inadvertently propagated by misinformed people, or deliberately disseminated by haters of Islam and Muslims.

HaSM is not reform Islam

We are not a group that advocates reform in Islam, it is not at all our goal.

The only instances where we may consider some changes in particular matters a necessity are where we differ on issues such as apostasy, women's rights, gay rights, the right to debate, analyse and critique Islamic teachings and preachings objectively and respectfully, and other related issues.

We do not call for "reform", we call for equality, and we call for tolerance of differences of opinion, and of differences in life styles and beliefs among Muslims, something Islam is more than able to absorb without coming to any harm, and moreover, can only make Islam even more admirable and praiseworthy, not to mention more true to its beneficent origins and intended functions in society.

It goes without saying that such tolerance and acceptance is extended to all non-Muslims in Muslim nations, who, as a matter of fact, have traditionally enjoyed such tolerant treatment under Islamic rule throughout history.

HaSM does not advocate secularism or humanism

We do not advocate humanism or secularism, or try to promote either of them in any manner.

HaSM does not promote Islam

We neither promote nor favour any religion over the other, including Islam. We defend Islam and Muslims because they have been -- unfairly and without the slightest rationale or objective justification -- incessantly targeted for demonization and denigration in the west from decades preceding 9/11.

About the web site

This web site was inaugurated on June 13th, 2008.

Humanist and Secular Muslims (HaSM) is based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

HaSM's founder is Hesham M. Sabry.

Numerous volunteers, for various durations and tasks, have made this extensive web site possible. However, HasM still needs your help. To volunteeer maintaining or compiling the latest material for any of the catalogues included, or to help in any other capacity, please contact us.

HaSM's focus is global, though it does occasionally concentrate on certain Canadian national issues as well, especially if they pertain to similar problems and issues occuring in other western nations dealing with the same issues.

Views and opinions expressed on this web site do not necessarily reflect those of HaSM.

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