We are students of the Islamic tradition, and graduates of various Islamic seminary institutions and secular universities both locally and abroad. All of us are deeply invested in the conceptualization and development of truly Islamic societies, and we recognize the role that Muslim participation, political or otherwise, plays in making non-Muslim majority societies more hospitable to Muslims and better for all people. This participation, however, must always occur within the parameters set by the Sharīʿah, lest our community lose its identity rooted in the Islamic faith and the Divine law.