Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Secularists of Islamic Societies Gather for Unprecedented Summit- Monday, March 5, 2007

News from Bangladesh
Monday January 29 2007 16:42:14 PM BDT

Contact: Austin Dacey
Phone: (212) 265-2877, ext. 11; (917) 664-3855
E-mail: info@secularislam.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Secularists of Islamic Societies Gather for Unprecedented Summit
Leading Dissidents to Launch Movement for Reason, Pluralism, and Freedom of Conscience

New York, N.Y.(January 26, 2007)— From Pope Benedict XVI to the Harvard historian Bernard Lewis, people are asking, What went wrong? How did Middle Eastern cultures transform from the openness and intellectual ferment of the medieval period to the closed theocrat societies of today? Where are the secular voices of the Muslim world? Until now, they have been largely stifled and silenced. Now, bold critics of orthodoxy are calling for sweeping reforms from inside Muslim societies. With the intent of catalyzing a global movement for reason, humanist values, and freedom of conscience, delegates from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh will assemble March 4-5 in St. Petersburg, Florida for an unprecedented Secular Islam Summit.

According the chair of the meeting, the rationalist critic of Islam and acclaimed author Ibn Warraq, “What we need now is an Age of Enlightenment in the Islamic world, of the Islamic mind-set or worldview. Without critical examination of Islam, it will remain unassailed in its dogmatic, fanatical, medieval fortress; ossified, totalitarian and intolerant. It will continue to stifle thought, human rights, individuality; originality and truth.”
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 6:11 PM