![]() ![]() In the wake of the accusations, at least three people have gone to Salem's organization, FACE, which stands for Facing Abuse in Community Environments, for help. Some say they've received texted apologies from him. Canon is communicating though, with a computer that reads eye movements. She answered a message requesting comment on Canon's behalf. In a post on their Facebook page asking for donations on Giving Tuesday, they expressed "uncertainty around the future of Ta'leef." Meanwhile the man in question is in the late stages of ALS, unable to speak or text, according to his wife. In the weeks since the statement, Canon's organization has tried to figure out how to navigate the fallout of alleged abuse and betrayal in a sacred space. "But you also have a really difficult position that the administration found them self in because of his health condition." It provides resources for victims and investigates abuse allegations against spiritual and community leaders. "You have this lack of clarity that doesn't do justice to what these victims experienced," said Alia Salem, the founder and executive director of a Muslim organization called FACE. While Muslim victim advocates commended Ta'leef for the rare public stance it took, they also worried the statement was too vague and left people to fill in the blanks themselves. It's reignited a conversation around how to deal with abuse by Muslim community and faith leaders. In another, a prominent Swiss scholar of Islam, Tariq Ramadan, is facing charges in France for the alleged rape of at least two women. In 2017, it was a sexting scandal from a rigidly conservative American Muslim celebrity preacher, Nouman Ali Khan, accused of using his position to lure women into sexual relationships under the guise of a secret marriage. It's the latest public scandal involving a respected figure to roil Muslims in the west over the past few years. I am very ashamed and saddened of the ummah thinking more of the abuser than the abused." Through the hundreds of online posts someone wrote, "I hope the survivors aren't reading these comments. And then there were the expressions of grief, pain and disbelief. ![]() Other comments were filled with questions about what the nature of the abuse was, still others asking why Ta'leef went public when Canon was so sick. One Canon supporter wrote, "Burden of proof lies on the accusers." Another wrote, "You as a Muslim should be ashamed of yourself that you are willing to jump the gun and automatically believe an accusation without ample proof." The comments, a window into the way these scandals divide, confuse and bereave communities as they grapple with a beloved figure being accused of abuse. The reaction to the statement from Ta'leef was swift, public and messy in a long thread on the organization's Facebook page that has since been taken down. ![]()
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