The Lived Experiences of Progressive Muslims: Exploring the Limits of Individualisation Lisa Worthington The Religion and Society Research Centre, The University of Western Sydney. Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy degree, The Religion and Society Research Centre, The University of Western Sydney, 2015. Declaration This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for the award of any another degree or diploma at any other university or tertiary institution, and to the best of my knowledge and belief contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. Two articles have been published in peer review journals as a result of the research undertaken for this PhD thesis. These are: Worthington, L. (2016) “Progressive Islam and Women’s Religious Leadership: Analysing the Emergence of New Models of Shared Authority,” Journal of the Academic Study of Religion Vol. 29 No. 2 pp. 167-181. Worthington, L. (2016) “Working Towards Gender Equality: Resistance in Progressive Muslim Movements in North America,” SeaChanges. Vol. 7 pp. 1-28. http://media.wix.com/ugd/cd26e8_8c87e8cd43e7436390361786dd46053d.pdf (accessed 28 May 2016). I give consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited into the university library, being available for loan or photocopying. SIGNED: DATE: ii Abstract Since September 11 2001 popular discourse on Islam has come to focus on issues of fanaticism and violence. Consequently the need to present examples of a ‘moderate’ or ‘liberal’ Islam has emerged and this thesis is a response to this imperative. It is clear that progressive Islamic thought and practice has been formed as a reaction to events, religious norms, liberalism and human rights discourses. It has been argued by Abdullahi An-Na’im (2006) that following the attacks there was a need for many Muslims to seek and craft an Islam that they believed was compatible with Western values of pluralism and human rights. This thesis will investigate the lived experiences of progressive Muslim communities and organisations in North America, by exploring how their identities are presented, how and why progressive Muslim communities are formed, how authority is exercised, and how gender activism is articulated. To date there is no sociological research that investigates the social implications of progressive Islamic thought, much less its implications for social justice and equality in Muslim societies and communities. Although there is considerable literature on progressive Islamic thought and theology (Esack 1997; Safi 2003a; Duderija 2011; Wadud 2006) not much is known about its social manifestations and the implications of these materials. This thesis will focus on two organisations: Muslims for Progressive Values and El-Tawhid Juma Circle. Fieldwork was conducted though twenty in-depth interviews and observations in the United States in 2013. The data collected for this research will be used to evaluate the broader concerns of social justice, human rights, and pluralism in these two progressive Muslim movements. An important feature of most progressive Islamic movements in North America is the focus on social equality and ultimately on gender parity. The varied forms of progressive Islam all endeavour to realise social justice and equality through a critical engagement with Islamic sources and an inquiry into dominant contemporary Islamic practices. This thesis will test the extent to which progressive Muslim practice can be described as an individualised form of Islam. In connection with this it also analyses progressive Muslim practice with reference to theories of individualisation, pluralism, cosmopolitanism and everyday religion. iii Acknowledgments Firstly, special thanks are due to my supervisors Professor Adam Possamai, Doctor Kate Huppatz and Professor Bryan Turner for their valuable advice, support and guidance on this project. Thanks are also due to colleagues at the Committee on Religion at the Graduate Centre at the City University of New York for their stimulating discussion during the time I spent there as a visiting scholar while completing my fieldwork. Thanks to Eva Garcia, Nutan Muckle and Vicki Fox for administrative support during my thesis and assistance with fieldwork and conference travel. I also appreciate the assistance of Carolla Belle in finding accommodation in New York City during my fieldwork. Thanks to my Religion and Society Research Centre colleagues Farjana Mahbuba, Alan Nixon, John McGuire, Ashleigh Barbe-Winter, Firdaus Wajdi, Juni Alfiah, Vlad Iouchkov, and Kathleen Openshaw for their friendship and discussion. Early versions of some of my chapters were presented at the XVIII International Congress of Sociology, and the Australian Association for the Study of Religion Annual Conference. Thanks are due to those who made valuable comments and suggestions on these papers. I am indebted to my participants who gave so willingly of their time to contribute to this project and welcomed me into their communities. Lastly, thanks to a few dear friends who have read drafts and provided feedback and proofreading assistance: Safdar Ahmed, Imran Ahmed, and Zeinab El-Haris. iv Table of Contents Declaration ........................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................. v Glossary of Non-English Terms ........................................................................... viii Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... xiii Figures ............................................................................................................... xiv Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Background: Events and Social Manifestations .................................................................................. 4 Definition of Terms ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Significance of the Research ........................................................................................................................ 9 Research Aims ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Research Questions ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 11 Chapter Two: Literature Review ......................................................................... 14 Case Study - Joyah ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Islam in North America .............................................................................................................................. 17 Literature on Gender in Islam ................................................................................................................. 23 Islamic Feminism and Gender Rights in Islam ................................................................................. 26 Overview of Theoretical Texts on Progressive Islam .................................................................... 28 Texts About Progressive Muslims ......................................................................................................... 32 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter Three: Theoretical Background .............................................................. 34 Secularisation and Modernity ................................................................................................................. 34 Everyday and Lived Religion ................................................................................................................... 38 Individualisation of Religion .................................................................................................................... 41 Tactical and Strategic Religion ................................................................................................................ 45 Cosmopolitanism .......................................................................................................................................... 46 Islam and Cosmopolitanism ..................................................................................................................... 49 Cosmopolitanism and the Individualisation of Religion .............................................................. 51 Religious Pluralism ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Islam and Pluralism ....................................................................................................................................