Sorry Ahmed; sorrry Jawad; sorry Pamela. But, I have to call it the way I see it. My first introduction to Progressive Islam was almost magical back towards the end of 2003. I was reminded of the captivation I felt by reading the resignation letter of the MCC board:

that many progressives believe there is a way to create a space in our umma that is welcoming to both the marginalized members of our community and the rest. We believe that the umma can nurture this. It was the Prophet's intent. The very people that the more conservative umma marginalize from the masjids, the Prophet himself had as company in his own home. We believe the umma can encompass us all. We believe the umma can talk about its very serious problems in ways that are beneficial to us all. We believe we can take action against the most serious problems in our communities in a beautiful way that transforms us all towards the good.

With each article I read, I knew I had finally found an expression to feelings which gnawed at me for so long: there was a third voice, one which would accept my positions and explorations of what it meant to be Muslim in the West and the Modern World without demanding self-censorship or dogmatic adherance to some manufactured orthodoxy. I drunk it all up.