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(OPINION) North America’s Christian and Jewish leaders have long been active, politically and legally, in taking differing sides on same-sex and transgender issues. Authorities in Islam are comparatively disengaged. That changes in dramatic fashion with a new declaration of alarm from a broad group of 59 authorities, quickly joined by 150 further endorsers from Muslim organizations and local mosques.

Journalists will want to ponder the May 23 “Navigating Differences” statement, which is publicized on Muslim websites and social media, though The Guy has seen no “mainstream media” coverage. Yet?

The ad hoc grouping upholds the “immutable” teaching on sexuality defined by the Quran and Hadith sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, then “unanimously agreed upon” in Islamic jurisprudence over the succeeding 14 centuries.

The newer news is that these scholars also assert that believers have been unfairly put on the defensive. The signers acknowledge that North American law and culture have moved away from traditional beliefs on marriage, sexual relations and gender identity, and affirm that citizens of a democracy who disagree with Islam have every right “to live in peace and free from abuse.”

However, they say, religious dissenters face “unwarranted accusations of bigotry” and, more troubling, “an increasing push to promote LGBTQ+ beliefs among children through legislation and regulations, disregarding parental consent” and suppressing Muslims’ “conscientious objection.” This is said to “subvert” parents, worsen “intolerance” in society and violate citizens’ religious freedom.

“We call on policymakers to protect our constitutional right to practice our religious beliefs freely, without fear of harassment, and to oppose any legislation seeking to stifle the religious freedoms of faith communities.”

These thinkers also urge public figures who are Muslims to “uphold the sanctity of our faith” and shun “erroneous pronouncements” on “sexual and gender ethics that contravene well-established Islamic teachings” and spurn or misrepresent “the will of God.” They “categorically reject” as indefensible any efforts to reinterpret tenets that are “not subject to revision.”

Journalists need to assess the importance of the declaration, which agrees with other religious conservatives. For instance, could this be considered the most significant unified Muslim protest since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks? Yet one Muslim reaction complains that these authorities are “out of touch” with reality and mobilizing “a decade too late.”

When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015), dissenting conservative justices in the 5-4 ruling warned about threats to religious liberty. The Guy double-checked and found that no orthodox Muslim entity filed a “friend of the court” brief in that case, even though just about every other sector of American society did so, not to mention 27 lawyers from foreign lands.

Reviewing Islam’s belief, the group states that “by a decree from God, sexual relations are permitted within the bounds of marriage, and marriage can only occur between a man and a woman,” citing Quran 4:16, 7:80-83, 17:32, and 27:55-58.

As for gender identity, “God defined humanity as consisting of males and females,” citing Quran 49:13 and 53:45. Also, the prophet “condemned imitating the appearance of the opposite gender.”

The text says that “God holds individuals accountable for their words and actions, not for their involuntary thoughts and feelings. … The sinful actions of an individual do not and should not dictate his or her identity. As such it is impermissible for Muslims to take pride in identifying with labels that categorize them by their sins.” It adds that Muslims “who struggle with desires that fall outside the boundaries set by God” always have “the potential to be forgiven.”

Sources:

* Coordinators of the new effort are reachable at info@navigatingdifferences.com. The names of endorsers posted with the text would be useful for reporters to keep on file.

* Prominent backers include Muzzamil Siddiqi, a Harvard graduate, former president of the Islamic Society of North America and chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, which issues rulings that apply Islamic law; reachable at California’s Islamic Society of Orange County (info@isocmasjid.org or 714-531-1722).

* Also note Yasir Qadhi, a Yale graduate who is academic dean of the Islamic Seminary of America (214-484-309 or info@islamicseminary.us).

Other scholarly signers who’d be adept at interpreting their religion for North American general audiences include:

* Ihsan Bagby at the University of Kentucky (ihsanbagby@gmail.com or iabagb2@uky.edu; 859–257-638).

* Jonathan Brown at Georgetown University (202-687-0293 or email via https://drjonathanbrown.com/contact).

* Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, who teaches Islamic law at Zaytuna College (aali@zaytuna.edu).

* Zaytuna’s President Hamza Yusuf is a notable leader whose view would be of interest because (at this writing) he has not signed on (hyusuf@zaytuna.edu, office 510–356-4760).

* Also absent: Outspoken Muslim-rights activist Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (contact via communications director Ibrahim Hooper, lhooper@cair.com or 202–744–7726). And Executive Director Basharat Saleen of the Islamic Society of North America (basharat.saleem@isna.net or 317–839–1808).

* Among champions of LGBTQ+ rights, Americans United for Separation of Church and State fights “religious extremists” and “discrimination in the name of religion.” President Rachel Laser is a lawyer and former lobbyist for Reform Judaism (contact via media@au.org or 202–466-3234).

* At the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the contact for religious issues is Ross Murray (rmurray@glaad.org or 646–871-8040), or else press@glaad.org.

Richard Ostling is a former religion reporter for The Associated Press and a former correspondent for TIME Magazine. He’s also worked in broadcast TV and radio journalism covering religion and received a lifetime achievement award from Religion News Association. This piece first appeared at GetReligion.org.