NEW YORK -- Two prominent American Muslims have penned an open letter to the Islamic community highlighting its hypocrisy over LGBT rights. Religious scholar Reza Aslan and "The Daily Show" correspondent Hasan Minhaj wrote the missive following online disquiet from US Muslims over the Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage across all 50 states.
They wrote: “Many of you are scandalised by the [Supreme Court] 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.”
Within the letter, the pair argue it is unreasonable for Muslims to voice concern about their rights as an “underrepresented minority” if they dismiss the rights of other minority groups. “You can’t pick and choose which civil liberties apply to which people," they wrote. “Either we are all equal, or the whole thing is just a sham.”
The note continues: “We shouldn’t be perpetuating our marginalisation by marginalising others. Rejecting the right to same-sex marriage, but then expecting empathy for our community’s struggle, is hypocritical. Think about the way people look at your hijabi sister or your bearded brother when they walk through the mall. Think about the grumbles and stares you get at airports. Think about the vitriol that’s spewed on you by your own elected political leaders. That’s how your LGBT brothers and sisters feel every day of their lives. Are you okay with that?”
The letter demands their fellow brethren don't just tolerate the Supreme Court decision but actively embrace it, not because it’s the “right thing to do,” but because “it’s the Muslim thing to do.”
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