Open Letter to Usama Hasan
A brother who is associated with respected Ulema has sent me this letter in an anonymous fashion. I have removed the letter according to the advise of the brothers. Once we get the response then we shall post the two letters accordingly
Inshallah we will give this brother the “70 excuses” that are required and I hope he is able to clarify his position. I have decided this is not an issue of personalities, but because Usama is a public figure and has supported the foundation in a public manner, I suggest he publically clarifies himself on the issues that have been raised in the letter.
Salam,
I have forwarded this letter in an email to Br Usama – just incase it does not reach him from the Blog itself. Further I had a conversation regarding this matter and he categorically said that he does not accept secular governance, however after watching the video of his comments I can see the confusion. Usama clearly said to me “of course there is no seperation between Islam and Politics…what I mean is there is too much focus on politics”.
This conversation was after the QF launch. Inshallah I will ask him to respond directly on this blog.
Azad Ali
May 7, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I look forward to his direct clarification.
Ali Abdullah
May 8, 2008 at 2:49 am
I hope he can clarify all he has said here too
http://www.rsa.org.uk/events/detail.asp?EventID=2537
including his ideas that we have to learn from Europe, that Muslims have no problem with political secularisation, that ibn Khuldoon’s book was “very secular” and so on.
What is said in public is much more damaging than what is said between brothers.
Wasalaam
Abu Abdullah
May 8, 2008 at 9:40 am
I hope Br. Usama realises that his association with groups like the Quilliam Foundation is very damaging to him.
Ali Abdullah
May 9, 2008 at 8:13 am
I’m sad to say that brother Usama has seriously gone off the rails. This has been brewing for some time and the open letter much needed. I have no doubt he has become a secularist and at best he would be considered an innovator. Have a read of what he says here: http://www.thecitycircle.com/blog2.php?cann_id=491 Also read his comment on abdul hakim murad’s similar denial of the apostacy law – he says:
Usama Hasan
Mon 31 Mar 2008 Thank you, Sheikh Abdul Hakim, for an excellent article, esp. the information on the Ottoman reform and its Azhari endorsement. I have told several other UK imams and community leaders about this, and this filtering down of ideas will be beneficial, God-willing.
One small weakness in the article, however, is the predictable bashing of Wahhabis and Salafis in regard to the apostasy matter. In fact, most Deobandis, Barelwis and certainly the “traditional Islam” types, often stuck in medieval madhhabism, also hold fast to the old ideas about apostasy. We really have to raise our level of debate about such matters and avoid sectarian polemics.
brother
May 10, 2008 at 8:08 pm