When people develop their religious identities, they draw lines around what they consider to be “real Muslims.” This helps them feel secure in their identity. For example, they might feel that a person who does X sin is “less Muslim.” Since they don’t do X, they feel more Muslim.

The question of what makes someone a “real Muslim” is important to reflect on bc we think about it unconsciously fairly often. It’s not uncommon to see someone who is “less practicing” or “differently practicing” and think of them as being “less Muslim” or not Muslim at all.

Some people build their identity around following the “right” understanding of Islam w no room for differences of opinion. Their narrow understanding makes them feel certain & secure. They get an ego boost when they see how so many others are wrong. This is rooted in insecurity.

A secure religious identity from an Islam perspective is one that is built on an understanding of Islamic values & principles, not on antagonism toward other groups & practices. When your “strength” comes from excluding and pushing away others, you are exposing your insecurity.

This is entirely uncontroversial when we mention it in the context of “religious” people making space for less practicing Muslims and treating them with principled compassion & mercy. It should also be uncontroversial when discussing how to treat converts from all backgrounds.

When I said that some Muslims complain about white converts bc of insecurity in their religious identity, I was speaking about complaining in general. I was not speaking specifically about those who are addressing white supremacy or abuses of privilege. That is a different issue.

I was speaking about those who view white people as undeserving of Islam or white converts as lesser Muslims. You can say this is not as important an issue as racism, and that’s fine - I didn’t say it was. I’m just clarifying a misunderstanding from a casual tweet I posted.

We should be wary of what we consider foundational to our religious identities. Islam has room for people of all backgrounds & experiences if they believe in “la ilaha illa Allah.” We should be cautious not to think of fellow believers as less Muslim, let alone make them feel it.

Related thread about outrage and religious identity. https://twitter.com/ibnabitareq/status/1121464472885972993