UK: Support Usama Hasan and Freedom of Conscience within Islam

[Statement from City Circle] In recent months, it has been very distressing for us to watch Dr Usama Hasan, a core member of City Circle's management team who has also served with distinction as our Director, endure a nasty, intolerant campaign to remove him as an imam from his boyhood mosque and to cast him outside of the fold of Islam on account of views he has expressed as a scholar and a scientist in good faith and conviction.

In 1999, City Circle was founded in the belief that treasuring our great Muslim diversity is a blessing and not a curse, that honest dialogue on all issues is essential to building a confident and empowered Muslim community, that without asking the serious questions we could never start to frame meaningful answers to the issues and challenges of our times.  Usama Hasan's own journey has embodied that, and he should be treasured too, honoured and saluted for his courage and integrity, regardless of whether one would  personally agree with him or not.

In recent days, many Muslim organisations have come forward to stand for decent Muslim community life.  We would like to add our voice to this growing groundwell of decent mainstream opinion, and say no to thuggery, intolerance and intimidation and say yes to debate, tolerance and mutual respect.  Usama Hasan for all his years of service and integrity deserves no less than that.

For any media enquiries, please contact Yahya Birt on yahya[at]thecitycircle.com or 07988143167.

You can express your support by joining the Facebook group Defend Usama Hassan.