Posted on: Saturday, May 21, 2005

EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Balancing ownership of Islam

By Omar Gatto

Islam places many individual responsibilities on me that I have understood to be a form of ownership in our faith. Ownership of Islam does not mean that anyone has the right to tell others how to be Muslim. It does mean that the individual believer makes personal choices about how to interpret Islam. One makes these choices believing that they agree with the spirit and texts of Islam.

This is a heavy responsibility that some Muslims seem to have given away to others, so much so that many people now have little or no control over how to be Muslim in America.

Living in America, and particularly in Hawai'i, Muslims are encountering a rich variety of lifestyles and environments. Muslims are

especially reminded of the lost ideal of women's full participation in public life. We see a Hawai'i where a woman can choose to become a loving mother, a dedicated public official or even both. I can see no reason why Muslim women should not have the same opportunities and remain inside of Islam, whatever choices they make.

In past Muslim societies, distinct from those existing today, there were many ways to live and still be a Muslim: Poets, politicians, merchants and scholars could all be Muslim as they understood it without forcing their interpretations and lifestyles on others. This produced a balance of ownership between alternative interpretations of Islam, and no single interpretation could be imposed on others.

This balance of ownership is the key to stable and prosperous Muslim communities. Prosperity comes from welcoming a wide variety of individuals who will contribute to enriching the community intellectually and spiritually.

Nevertheless, whichever interpretation of Islam that a Muslim chooses to follow, we are all bound together as a community by common core beliefs such as the existence of God, of mercy toward creation and by rituals such as fasting in the month of Ramadan and prayer. In such a community, people should be able move through a spectrum of Islamic thoughts and practices and still remain a Muslim.

We must continue to restore balance to Muslim communities by giving space to alternative interpretations of how to be Muslim. No one person or group can claim to understand the entirety of God's revelations to humanity. These differences in interpretation are grounded in the uniqueness of each individual's good and bad experiences through life. Thus, there have been, and always will be, alternative interpretations that Muslims can turn to in fulfilling their spiritual, social and political needs.

One may criticize people on their choices, but even this must be done respectfully and with the above understandings. Critics of alternative interpretations sometimes ask whether a person is really a Muslim when that individual does something different. Sometimes, one may even say that advocates of alternative interpretations should find another religion because there is only one way to be Muslim. I reject this because "everyone owns Islam."

Omar Gatto is a local Muslim and a Marine Corps veteran of Afghanistan.