Wafa Sultan

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Wafa Sultan is an author[1] and critic of Muslim society and Islam,[2] who emigrated to the United States in 1989 after training as a psychiatrist in Syria.

She is a co-founder of Former Muslims United, an organization that aims "to educate the American public and policymakers about the need for Muslims to repudiate the threat from authoritative Shariah to the religious freedom and safety of former Muslims".[3]

Sultan became notable after the September 11, 2001 attacks for her participation in Middle East political debates, with Arabic essays that were circulated widely, and for television appearances on Al Jazeera[4] and CNN, and in April 2006, Time Magazine listed her as one of the 100 influential people in the world "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world."[5][6]

As a result of her public criticism of Islam, in 2008, Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, head of the European Center for Fatwa and Research, issued an opinion regarding Sultan[7] that resulted in her requiring security and going into hiding.[8] In total, she has two fatwas (religious rulings) issued against her to be killed.[9]

Sultan describes herself as a Muslim who does not adhere to Islam, yet remains associated with the faith through her birth, rather than belief; "I am a secular individual and do not believe in the supernatural",[4] "I even don't believe in Islam, but I am a Muslim."[5]

See Also

External Links

References

  1. Wafa Sultan - A God Who Hates - St. Martin's Press, New York, 2009, ISBN 9780312538354
  2. John M. Broder - For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats - The New York Times, March 11, 2006
  3. Former Muslims United Mission Statement - Former Muslims United
  4. 4.0 4.1 Al Jazeera's The Opposite Direction: English transcript| Arabic transcript
  5. 5.0 5.1 Asra Q. Nomani - Wafa Sultan - TIME, April 30, 2006
  6. 2006 TIME 100 - TIME
  7. Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi Accuses Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of 'Cursing Allah' on Al-Jazeera TV - MEMRI, report No. 1876, March 20, 2008
  8. About Us / Directors - Former Muslims United
  9. Richard Kerbaj - Warning to West on 'evil of Islam' - The Australian, August 21, 2007