We are the Muslims who represent approximately 2 billion believers, and allies. We believe that all human beings have been created equal in the eyes of God. We affirm the oneness of all creation. We understand that harming one human being --emotionally, physically or systemically-- harms all of humanity. We acknowledge that we humans have been placed on this earth as the earth’s stewards, and so entrusted with the task to protect all creation from harm.

We reject the idea that there is a singular interpretation where Islam outlaws LGBTQIA+ people or considers Queerness or trans identities sinful. We stand by our LGBTQIA+ community members and stress that labels of sinfulness put their health, basic rights and lives in danger. To quote the Quran: "Don’t let hatred of a people cause you to be unjust."

Instead, we claim our God-given right to read the Quran for ourselves, to use our God-given intuition and reason to decide what is right and wrong without the pressures of self-proclaimed religious leaders and clergy-members.

We are the community of believers who choose the challenging way-- the path that requires us to do the hard work of reading the Quran, learning Islamic history and about the life of Prophet Muhammad, and developing our critical reasoning and our natural intuition. We choose this path over blindly following religious leaders who declare their human, and often Quranically, logically and historically unsupported interpretations as unimpeachable.

We draw a distinction between scholars and religious “clerics” or “leaders.” Anyone has the ability and right to pursue deep study of Islam, and that deep study gives these scholars a stamp of credibility. It does not, however, put them on a pedestal. It does not make their interpretation of Islam immutable or unquestionable.

We remind those who call themselves faith leaders in the Muslim community that Islam is opposed to middle men who intercede between humanity and God. There is no concept of priests or rabbis. We urge them to remember that Islam firmly establishes the spiritual relationship directly between man and God. With no intermediaries. Islam warns against worshiping humans and power, cautioning believers against idolatry, false Gods and prophets. It also states, unequivocally, that there is no compulsion in religion.

We are aware that the status and power religious leaders have enjoyed is threatened by the empowered and learned individual. As more Muslims choose the challenging path, and follow the Quranic command to read and learn for themselves, the less need there is for intermediaries like Shaikhs, Imams and Ustads. We believe in an all-powerful God who has the capacity to enact and protect His own will and does not need the help of human beings who have appointed themselves His sole interpreters. As the Quran says, “All power and authority belong to God alone. Judgment alone belongs to God.”

Instead of aligning with ideologues and policymakers whose platform also includes discriminating against Muslims, we put our collective power behind fighting for the following:

A sustainable, beautiful, climate conscious planet that protects animals, plants, and humans.

A just, anti-racist society that fights all discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, age or ability.

The right of all humans to practice their own religion freely, without discrimination or persecution.

The right to safe and equitable housing for all.

The right to universal healthcare.

The right to sustainable, clean and healthy food for all.

The right to free, equitable and secular education for all.

Freedom from financial exploitation.

Freedom from sexual exploitation.

Freedom from oppression, injustice and tyranny.

May God give us the strength to stand in our integrity and to continue to challenge all oppressive systems, especially those erected in His name. We pray that we are able to surrender to Him, to find inner peace, and honor Him by building a loving, benevolent and just world that honors the oneness and sacredness of all of his creation.