Reza Aslan wants Muslims to embrace same-sex marriage
Academic Reza Aslan has written an open letter to the Muslim community, urging people to accept same-sex marriage.
Mr Aslan, an Iranian-American author, co-wrote a letter with comedian and Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj.
In it, they urged: “Many of you are scandalized by the ruling (we know because you keep tweeting about it), and many more of you are equally perturbed but have chosen to keep it to yourself.
“With all the rainbow-flag waving and self-congratulatory pats on the back this country is giving itself right now, you don’t need another reason for Americans to dislike you.”
The pair continue: “When you are an under-represented minority—whether Muslim, African American, female, etc.—democracy is an all or nothing business.
“You fight for everyone’s rights (and the operative word here is “fight”), or you get none for yourself. Democracy isn’t a buffet.
“You can’t pick and choose which civil liberties apply to which people. Either we are all equal, or the whole thing is just a sham.”
It adds: “We Muslims are already a deeply marginalized people in mainstream American culture. More than half of Americans have a negative view of us.
“We shouldn’t be perpetuating our marginalization by marginalizing others. Rejecting the right to same-sex marriage, but then expecting empathy for our community’s struggle, is hypocritical.”
They add: “We don’t know about you, but our faith teaches us to care for the weak and the marginalized, the poor and dispossessed, those who are trampled underfoot, those who are persecuted—no matter who they are, no matter what they believe, no matter who they choose to love.”
