This episode offers the phrase “sexual responsibility” as a value-affirming alternative to the trending phrase “spiritual abuse.” When a community uses the phrase “sexual responsibility” to affirm that it upholds appropriate, Godconscious behavior for itself and its community members, it sends a statement that is clear, positive, and self-confident. On the other hand, when the phrase “spiritual abuse” is used, it indicates a defensive stance that begins and ends with under-confidence in our religious scholars, and ultimately in ourselves as a community. If our aim is to communicate our values regarding how men in positions of religious authority should act, we should do so in a way that does not indirectly call into question men and authority figures more generally.TEXT IN FOCUS:“Having such a culture of taqwa engrained into the practice of Islam in America would help the male scholars do right just as it would help women. There are, in fact, many ‘ulama in America who do take measures of taqwa when teaching and interacting with their female students...What is unfortunate, however, is that these measures do not match up with the current religious atmosphere in America. The ‘ulama are labeled as unaccommodating or extremist if they ask for such protective measures to be taken. We have to realize though that if such taqwa-centered practices are normalized, and are instituted from a place of wanting to please Allah, then everyone in the community will feel more confident to act according to the laws of God and to stand up for these laws when they are being violated.” –Khan, Fareeha, “Reconnecting with Our Scholars Upon the Plain of Taqwa,”