Noted Islamic feminist Amina Wadud, whose series of lectures in the city on Monday was cancelled following threats from local Muslim groups, has in a detailed statement said that the “support” given to those who threatened “innocent persons” was the last straw that forced her to “give up” on India.
She also, through Twitter, exhorted Indians not to be silent when the “ignorant” claim public voice. In an email communication she had made to persons in the University, as well as the US consulate, on Monday, she denied the charge that her past lectures in Tamil Nadu had led to violence.
“(I have) never given any public address there (Tamil Nadu). (I have) never been said to have created even the slightest stir while giving one of... college lectures,” the letter read and stated that the public record of these lectures would stand testament to her claim.
“I find the threat....to be the last straw to my mission to research Islam in the largest nation where Islam is a minority of quite a long time. By that I mean it has been here for more than a millennium, in a minority status; and this is unique world wide,” she said.
“Those hopes are dashed as I would never agree to participate in the way in which Islam is negotiated here, experienced by the believers and shared with their friends and neighbours of other faith or no faith tradition, in this context,” the statement read.