Regardless of whether this thread was about women, BIPOC or queer representation (all of which I am a part of), my post would have been the same. I also grewu up as a hijabi Muslimah in a post 9/11 world. Muslim members deserve the same respect, which they are almost never afforded on this forum. Even during the Christchurch shooting threads you had people dogwhistling. So frankly no it isn't a "religious test", it's asking for the same basic decency we should afford to all minorities, that Muslims are so rarely afforded.
I think we have quite a bit in common with respect to a lot of these issues. I appreciate you speaking up and speaking out. That said, I think we differ with respect to this particular approach;
As some have similarly expressed, qualifying discussion as a matter of faith makes me, as a Muslim, deeply uncomfortable. It's one thing to raise up our voices to be heard, but personally I would prefer to do so without demanding everyone else be silent (so long as they aren't gaslighting of course). To that point:
With respect to specifically calling out folks who were dismissive of our concerns, I agree with you wholeheartedly in that they should not be dismissed. My gut tells me it doesn't feel it's right to extend that to say anyone (be they especially south asian, Arab, Pakistani, etc) that has a feeling about the minority castings in general should not have a say about this character if they aren't also Muslim. (Indeed the issues this thread about are complex as they involve both ethnicity AND faith, two things which are in fact unique conversations, as Islam is not a monolith. )
And, one last issue about qualifying the discussion in this manner is, unless people are specifically forthright about what faith they are in this discussion, we don't know who and who is not Muslim—and it's not fair to make people do so if they want to express their concerns, because they may be uncomfortable doing so.
And tbh, Era has had a real problem with religion and religious discussion, among other things - And seeing how disastrous the engagement with the trans community has been (though I will credit the staff for the honest effort to improve), I can barely fathom how well it would go.
edited for formatting.