12 July 2009
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Irshad Manji: muslim-refusenik.com

Irshad Manji: Confessions of a Muslim Dissident

By Monika Sobiecki, The Cambridge Student
Described by The New York Times as "Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare", best-selling author Irshad Manji hosted a discussion of global proportions about Islam, terrorism and freedom...

Irshad Manji: Cambridge Union Society, 31st January 2007

Award-winning journalist and Muslim dissident Irshad Manji delivered a powerful message on her vision of the future of Islam to the Cambridge Union. Featuring at the Union’s Speaker Meeting on January 31st, she spoke confidently and at length of her brainchild, ‘Project Ijtihad’. The project aims to revitalise the tradition of critical thinking intrinsic to Islam.

www.muslim-refusenik.com

Accompanying her was a special guest, who cannot be named for security reasons. An eager exponent of Manji’s mission, in his first public appearance he acted as a sounding block for her ideas during the talk, which took the form of an ‘interview’. In the process, the audience were given insight into his experiences as a self-proclaimed ‘former terrorist’.

"Ask questions of Islam"

Manji’s vision of Ijtihad sees it becoming ‘an above the ground phenomenon’ by the end of 2007, and hopes to ‘show reform-minded Muslims that they are not alone’. Her guest confirmed that people were drawn into Jihadist circles by feelings of inability to ‘ask questions of Islam’. Instead, they would be reassured, in the same manner that Manji’s project hopes to, that it is always permissible to ask questions, and indeed that other people are asking them.

However, by claiming what Manji’s guest termed ‘ownership of the problem’, Jihadist groups would eventually encourage Muslims to inflexibly conform to their doctrines. The guest went on to advise that Manji’s ‘Project’ should be as ‘organised and fierce’ as the radical groups that it aims to counter-act.

"A wanton killing machine"

"Let a thousand flowers bloom..."

Irshad Manji

To demonstrate the pressing contemporary importance of critical thinking in Islam, the greater part of the talk was dedicated to Manji’s guest. Speaking about the ‘danger’ of moderate Muslims, who he claims are going to ‘lose the battle of hearts and minds’: he described the manner in which young Muslims were drawn by charismatic, and well-educated speakers, and ‘groomed’ into becoming recruits by the constant support of the Jihadist network.

Following the 7/7 Bombings, he claimed he began to question the killing of women and children in the spirit of Ijtihad, and realised, in his words, that the network had become ‘a wanton killing machine’.

Following the talk, Manji answered questions from the audience, predominantly concerning personal questions of faith. Ostentatiously answering from her own viewpoint, she answered doubts about her militancy of opinion by upholding her respect for diversity of opinion. She advised that one should ‘change the religion for yourself, personally’, and that we should particularly respect the diversity of viewpoints in Islam: in her words, ‘let a thousand flowers bloom’. She concluded by hoping that Ijtihad would provide ‘a bigger picture…a much more hopeful picture’ of Islam today.

More about Irshad Manji

Irshad Manji is the international best-selling author of ‘The Trouble With Islam Today: A Wake-Up Call for Honesty And Change’. She was recently honoured with the first annual Chutzpah Award for “audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction”, and a Global Vision Prize from Immigration Equality. She is also President of Project Ijtihad.

last updated: 07/02/07

Have Your Say

yOung C
All you non muslims need to realize that Irshad manji speaks for no one in the muslim world. She commits one of the greatest atrocities in Islam by being a homosexual, and tries to justify herself with small knowledge of islam.Ijtihad is thinking, but there were certain requirements in Ancient Islam included knowing the quran inside and out and knowing the meccan or medinan background of the sura and speaking good Arabic. Irshad manji has none of those, she barely has any grasps over the basics of the Qur'an.she calls muslims monsters and defends ISrael, when it is Israel killing the palestinian people. In 2006 800 + palestinian civilians were killed by Israel while 100 + were killed by Palestinians that were israelis(this is according to an Israeli humanitarian group).It's sad these days that the western media has to put someone on the media that knows nothing about Islam to try to calm down their unfounded insecurities

Dirk L. Hudson
If freedom of thought is to survive, Irshad Manji's vision of a reformed Islam must be propagated throughout the world. The West can only survive by helping her propagate that vision. Other types of moderate Islam as well as the Bahai faith (an off-shoot of Islam) should also be promoted throughout the Islamic world. Freedom is the banner under which we should unite. Under this banner can assemble all who are willing to tolerate dissent, regardless of faith. God bless Irshad Manji. May there be more like her.

saraa
Please, stop that nonsense. What is the point of a religion if it can be changed by us. Islam was and still the best route to solve worlds problems. As a muslim woman I can face Archard and show her how islam motivated me to study a very technical subject ,unlike most of british women who think only of how expose their body and make more money. They have completley lost their feminisim

I. Reka
T Winter, if the West is dying because of the problems you listed, then many Muslim countries are in even more dire trouble. Let's glance at their problems: honour killings, the immolation of women, and other widespread forms of the abuse of women. For example, it is estimated that in Pakistan 80% of women suffer from abuse in the home. The simple reason that divorce is less common is that it is less socially accepted, but there are no more flourishing marriages in Islamic countries then there are here. In addition, there is a lack of religious freedom, the crime of 'apostasy' (punishable by death), and cruel persecution of homosexuals and dissidents. Surely these problems are far more severe then alcoholism and pornography. Your view of Western problems is exaggerated, and you ignore the progress they have made towards implementing humane ideals. Simply look at problems elsewhere in the world, and compare their severity. The amount of cruelty and marginalization that occurs on a day to day basis in many Middle Eastern (and other) countries would never be accepted in Western nations. There is no greater preponderance of 'ethics and morals' in Muslim countries, if one takes that to include a basic respect for all people, and an attitude of compassion and inclusivity. Though you may feel that the emancipation of women and homosexuals in the West is actually a problem, and not a sign of progress, worldwide evidence shows that a society flourishes when women and minority groups are granted full participation in the society - just look at the progress of the West, of Japan, and of increasingly of Latin America. Actually, it is really the society that is oppressive that will suffer 'moral decay'. Furthermore, you cannot claim that it is as a result of Western oppression that Muslim countries are in the position they are today: if they were really influenced by the West, then surely women and other social groups wouldn't be in the position they are right now.

John Wells
What a breath of fresh air, and brilliant too! Ms. Manji may be the greatest political thinker of our time in regards to how we are to deal with the terrorist threat perpetrated on us by the Muslim world. Ms. Manji is a wake up call to anyone that loves free thought, tolerance, and democratic ideals everywhere.

Matt
Irshad, you are a gift to mankind! Demand more from the House of Saud. They have the power to change your faith, but for some reason refuse to.

sady mirza
Irshad Manji hopes to ‘show reform-minded Muslims that they are not alone’. but according to islamic doctrine reformation of islam or any of its doctrine is strongly prohibited. if she believes in islam she should wear hijab.if she comes up wth her own explanation she should know that it is not allowed in islam. therefore most of the things she tries to portray about islam are unislamic and untrue as far as islam is concerned. it is not just islam, any religion with strong dogma would divide human anyway, that is what religion has always done. so therefore coming up with modern outlook of a religion is not going to help anyone.

T Winter
Manji needs to reform Western ideals first, because Europe and the West is in moral decay, we have seen the moral decline in values and ethics, suicide is the highest in the world, pornography, gambling, alcoholism, divorce, sexually transmitted diseases, Aids,old peoples homes - The West has the worst of all these problems, not t forget the rapidly declining population due to low birth rates! Manji, has, unfortunately, NO ANSWERS for any of these very pertinent and serious issues. The West is dying! Will, according to some research, become extinct! Manji, will have done nothing but to have propagated and advocated this life-style, to the muslim world which has none of these self-inflicted threats to its very own survival. Western Syphilisation is being destroyed from within, its a matter of time before the Muslims take it from 'without'. Remember...ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE! Manji is only a publicity seeking, egotistic, lame duck, with NO solutions to the problems the WEST is facing today - only issues against a nation that is doing far better in all the above mentioned categories. The Muslims have problems, they are in the doldrums, beleive me...they will return as strong as they were when the Europeans were living in the DARK AGES! [See MUSLIM HERITAGE.COM]

Richard brooks
where is the voice of moderate Islam? even in the United States of America where freedom of speach is an unalienable right we never hear moderate Muslims speaking out against the extremists. after 9/11 when Muslims were dancing in the streets with joy, I saw and heard nothing from the Muslim community condemming that terrorist act.

margaret rattenbury
Irshad Manji please keep up your good work. I so admire your integrity and your tiredless crusade for a better and peaceful world. I wish you so much good fortune and would help if only I knew how.

Abdul Mujahid
Irshad Manji... [edited]... was challenged to debate by Islamic scholars such as ExamineTheTruth.com but she backed down. This called her bluff and exposed her as a deceiver, because she has been claiming that she wants to initiate debate in the Muslim world! However, I believe it is clear that the reason why she does not want to debate qualifed scholars is because she knows that her arguments will be defeated, as they are nothing but distortions of Islam. [Edited comment]

Theofraxis
So where are all the Muslims who are seeking the middle path? Why don't we hear them speaking out against the extremists? Why does someone who writes a book entiled, "the Trouble with Islam today" get an award for for "audacity, nerve and boldness"...Dozens of books critizing Christianity are written every year, and no one considers doing so to be an act of Chutzpah. Why is that, I wonder?

Jamil Qureshi
True Judaism and Christianity were destroyed by people like Irshad who thought they knew better. Isalm has been perfected for mankind as is stated in the Quran. The Prophet always urged people to follow the middle path. Extremeism has no place in TrueIslam. Killing of innocent people is not part of Islam. Islam exists in its pure state, unfortunately not many people practice the true Islam, and because of these fanatics and extremeists Islam gets a bad name.People like Irshad are simply publicity seeking innovators.