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Are we ready to laugh about terrorism?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Feb 01, 2010

After Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab grilled his groin on Christmas Day, amateur satirists wasted no time in assigning him nicknames: the Jockstrap Jihadi, the Undie-Bomber and my personal favorite, Fruit of Ka-Boom.

Does all the giggling, chuckling and outright satirizing mean that we, as a society, are ready to laugh about terrorism? Before you answer, watch this video clip from “Four Lions,” a new British movie about radicalized Muslims plotting an attack:

When BBC Radio asked for my thoughts about the video clip, I replied, “Hilarious. But the brilliance of comedy, like anything, depends on how it’s delivered. This particular scene makes violent jihadists look like fools. More spoofing might — might! — lessen fear among some members of the public, showing that we can challenge Islamists rather than cower before them. My worry would be that such comedy makes more of the public complacent, as if all jihadists are buffoons. We should know by now that they’re not.”

So I return to my question: Are we, as a society, ready to laugh about terrorism? Join the discussion on my Facebook page.

Should the burqa be banned in a free society?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Oct 10, 2009

London, UK (Photo: M. Douglas)

A few days ago, I sent this message to my Facebook fans: “France is currently debating whether to ban the burqa and veil. Now, my own country of Canada is debating that, too. A **Muslim** group is calling on the Canadian government to outlaw the burqa. How do you think the government should respond?”

Twenty-four hours later, I re-visited my fan page. Hello! I found more responses to this question than to just about anything I’ve ever posted.  Equally revealing, Muslims are disagreeing with each other.

Male versus female, you ask?  In a sense, yes. In my Facebook community, Muslim men are likely to reject the burqa outright while Muslim women are inclined to support choice.

Here’s a sample of their arguments, peppered with interventions from non-Muslims who have experience with Muslim societies:

* “Burqa? This hideous thing should most definitely be banned.”  - Umar

* “The GOVERNMENT should not have a say over whether a woman can wear it or not. If they did, they would be no different from Saudi Arabia or any other country that forces women to wear it.” - Sara

* “Yes, ban the burqa. A woman’s head is not an extension of her private parts.  A woman in burqa is convinced she is a a giant pussy on legs.  This is  offensive. Burqa is also dangerous. Not different from seeing a man walking down the street wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, or a skinhead with a tattoo of a swastika on his forehead.” - Azhar

* “I wear the hijab on my head and I live in America. I would fight with the government til the end on something like this. Who cares what people wear as long as they are not doing anything wrong to you?” - Diana

* “One of my best friends is Muslimah and she lived in Algeria for years, never wearing a veil, never being asked to wear it.  As soon as her family moves to the States, her father, who is quite secular in Algeria, tries to impose the veil on his daughters. Why? Because in his eyes, they’re living in a hostile nation, and he needs to protect his daughters from the eyes of infidel boys/men.  My friend resisted and used the Quran as her justification. But her others sisters veiled, to keep the peace, because of their abusive dad.” - Rodney

* “The burqa is a marketing tool for Islamists. In a day and age when Islamist criminality is worldwide, the burqa is not an option!” - Najat

* “Sure, there have been security problems in countries with men hiding under burqas and niqabs. But I have also been witness to a woman being harassed by security in the middle of Khan Al Khalili, a very busy market in the middle of Cairo. Banned or unbanned, it is still Muslim women who are the victims here. Banning a style of dress will not ensure extra security for anyone.” - Sue

* “In the Middle East, a woman wearing burqa who was allowed to drive almost hit me because she couldn’t see me!” - Rosa

* “I don’t agree with [a] country imposing a certain dress code. Who the hell are you? If they want to ban it, ban it all. That means the nuns can’t wear what they wear.  A Christian can’t wear a cross, a Jewish man can’t wear a kippah, and all other religious symbols should be banned too.” - Faisal

* “Irshad, the other day, with horror, I saw a WalkingBurqa in The Eaton Centre [Toronto shopping mall].  I told my daughter to forget about the shopping and let’s get the hell out of here. U never know what’s inside the WalkingBurqa.  Canadian government should ban it… ASAP.” - Rehmatullah

Now I’m asking my Facebook community to interpret the photo at the very top of this post. Snapped in London recently, the picture shows three burqa-clad women walking the same footpath as a woman in a tank top and skirt.

How do you interpret this image? What does it say to you?

Join the conversation, and many more to come, on  my Facebook fan page.

Freedom for Abe is freedom for Ali

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jul 03, 2009

Every Fourth of July, I receive a greeting card from friends who keep alive the memory of the anti-slavery movement in America. This year, Abraham Lincoln graced the front of their card. Inside, the Lincoln quote reads:

I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men.

In due time… Not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world… With those stirring words, Abe has something profound in common with Ali.

My most dedicated Tehran informant, Ali, recently inspired a message that I sent to my Facebook page:

“More injured are coming to hospital. After seeing so much fresh blood, those who’ve been bed-ridden and out of action for a few days need their morale boosted. So Ali is asking all of us: What do you love about your freedom? I’ll convey your replies to his sis; he’ll share with other patients via code of communication developing among the wounded.”

Facebookers replied with a cascade of reflections. Some highlights:

* “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give to our children. One is roots; the other, wings. I awake each day knowing this is possible, with sunlight, peace, and dreams of tomorrow. I do not fear my neighbors, my homeland, or my community, but cry for those who do. For one is never truly free if the only certainty is fear. And the fact that I can write this makes me the freest of all. For what is life if it can’t be expressed and felt? May all your voices be heard.”

* “When you are free, you can tell the bastards to get lost. You can walk away and they can’t stop you. You can ignore the MFers.”

* “A freedom without limits is no freedom at all.”

* “I love walking down the street and knowing that even if someone I encounter has different beliefs than me, or even if they dislike me after having learned my beliefs, I still have the right to believe, and my country will protect that right.”

* “Freedom means defending the rights of those who hate me without feeling ridiculous.”

* “I love my freedom because I treasure the uniqueness of each individual. Oppression squashes that uniqueness; freedom allows it to (although doesn’t guarantee it to) flower.”

* “Freedom is to be fully human with the absolute worth of the human person. This is lacking both in secular materialistic cultures and in totalitarian ideologies that blot out humans as individuals.”

Spurred on by the wisdom of Facebookers, my Twitter followers weighed in with their own answers for Ali. A sample:

* “why do I love my freedom? kinda nice to get up in the morning and not have to worry about being shot for my tweets.”

* “I’ve just spent the day with my 7 week old son. Freedom means I know his future will be HIS choices and desires.”

* “I luv freedom because having breakfast at 3 am while discussing politics should be the right of every human being.”

* “Freedom is crucial to happiness. It’s as simple as that.”

I can report that these responses made Ali happy. Which, in turn, would have made Abe happy. To abolitionists everywhere, thank you for your struggle on behalf of human dignity.

And to Americans: This Independence Day weekend, if you watch one film worthy of Abe’s message, make it “The Stoning of Soraya M.” Details of the movie — and where it’s playing — are here.

Free Faris!

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jun 20, 2009

Even before the Iranian uprisings, I’ve noticed more emails from young Muslims who are leaping out of the closet as free-thinkers.

But some are still limping out, and they need our best efforts to hold them up. Consider the case Faris, a teenage boy from Libya.

As if to surround him with guardian angels, I’m peppering this post with photos of my recent visit to the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in East Harlem. The strength of these girls could serve as a life-line for this boy.

Introducing Faris:

“I’m 14 years old, I’m half Irish and half Arabic. I live in Libya, and I’m currently having serious issues with my faith.

The amount of hate this country inflicts on Jews and Europeans is unbelievable. In our history books, it never refers to Jews without the word ‘racist’ beforehand, never refers to Europeans without the word ‘terrorist’ beforehand.

They teach us at one point that this is the religion of love and peace, and then flip to bashing various groups, including gays (which I recently discovered I am).

I thank god for giving me a mother to help me understand that love is better than religion, but my dad is blaming my access to the outside world and is trying to take away my laptop, my Internet connection, my mobile phone.

Shutting myself up, like I tended to do before, just won’t work anymore. I know you’re very busy, but I would appreciate it so much if you could give me a little support.” - Faris

Irshad replies to Faris: A little support? Hell, no, bro! I’m giving you actual allies. Listen to another young Muslim whose email I received immediately after yours:

“I live and work in Abu Dhabi. I belong to my thoughts and conscience more than my citizenship, which is Emirati. I am writing to you because I speak the same language as yours, defending our faith with the same enthusiasm and surrounded by those who would call us anti-Islam, koffar, or whatever…

I appreciate that you give it up to GOD, that he is the only one who knows the truth and that we are only seekers. I always try to put this in words! As a matter of fact, I always say that I might be wrong in what I am doing or convinced with, but with the brain, knowledge, experience, etc, I have come up with conclusions that I cannot lie about. I will live my life with honesty and integrity no matter what. That is what makes me ready for the day of judgment!

GOD knows me better than anyone, knows how I struggle to minimize the gap between what I think, say and do! Congratulations for what you have achieved so far in your honest way toward TRUTH. :)” - Fatema

Irshad returns to Faris: So what have we learned from Fatema? We’ve learned that by putting the transcendent God at the center of her faith, she minimizes, or outright eliminates, all the negative noise that human beings hurl in the name of a petty God.

We’ve also learned that her identity as an Arab or Muslim takes a backseat to her integrity as an individual — a complex, nuanced, thinking creature that no majestic deity could possibly reject, since any God worthy of worship has to be more than a manufacturer of widgets and automatons.

In short, Faris, if your faith is hostage to the approval of others, lose it. Go ahead. Lose faith. Because it’s not faith at all. It’s religious rust.

Take strength from another of your young Muslim allies who’s found her conscience under the thick coating of oxidized, organized Islam:

“I’m so happy that someone finally has the guts to stand up to the so-called scholars and imams of today. I was at a point in time when I was really feeling lost, but after reading your book, I’ve gained love and faith for Islam again.

I’ve never been able to understand organized/institutional Islam. It’s been hammered into my head since childhood that being a good person isn’t enough. You will still go to hell if you don’t do all the other stuff (but in your book, you clarified all that stuff as culture).

Being an independent Muslim woman of the 21st century, I always felt suffocated by the rules and regulations of institutional Islam. I thought I must be one of those people that the Quran states has a veil over their eyes and heart.

But what truly disturbed me about the religion are some of the so-called hadiths [reported sayings of the Prophet M]. For example, that hell has more women than men it, as if we don’t suffer enough on earth! Let a man give birth just once! Or that you will go to hell of you disobey your husband. Puh-leeze!!

I’m now in the process of weeding out the culture. I no longer feel suffocated. If anything, I feel free, and this is the Islam that I will pass on to my children. I’m also having a huge effect on the way my husband sees Islam.” - Reyana

Irshad turns to Faris: See? It’s not only possible to ditch other people’s dogma, but you can liberate the mind of your own husband — something you’ll have a better chance of achieving than I ever will.

And, Faris, in case you’re still worried that your father will pull the plug on your tech toys, let me end this way: A functioning mind is far more valuable than an Internet connection. This guy, emailing from the University of Peshawer, proves that you can be “connected” yet completely cut off from the gift that is God:

“well, Miss Irshad Manji, don’t have time to read ur book but the statement (trouble with Islam) is enough 2 say that ur place is nothing but HELL in the here-after. Every living creature has 2 taste death.

This world is going 2 end very soon, 95 percent of the sign of doomsday have appeared. After 2013, there will be big change through out the universe. 3rd world war may break out and it will be beginning of end. Repent for wut u did before the doors are closed, by God.” - Ahmad Usman

Irshad winks at Faris and whispers: Not your type, is he? Nor mine. God truly is merciful.

May the God of mercy watch over the gutsy demonstrators of Iran.  May they know that they’re not alone in fighting for freedom of thought, conscience and expression.  May they draw solidarity from the individual acts of courage exhibited by Fatema, Reyana and Faris above. And may many more be propelled to join them.

Pssst… Please eavesdrop

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jun 11, 2009

“As an American woman with a Jewish cultural background married to a Catholic raised man, I am most grateful for your informed views, thoughts, and ideas. It gives me hope for a world of more freedom for all. However, I am disheartened by the dearth of thoughts coming from the Western Muslim community regarding Islamic introspection. If you hear anything, please make it available to us non-Islamic folk. Is there an interfaith forum for self-reflection that we can all be privy to?” - Lorri Paulucci

In a word, “yes.” In two words, “please eavesdrop.”

Reform-minded Muslims invite you to read our message to fellow Muslims through a brand new book that challenges the complacency, passivity and denial of the so-called moderates in our faith.

Hot off the presses is Critical Thinkers for Islamic Reform, a collection of essays to which I’ve contributed and which you can buy on amazon.com. It’s the product of a recent conference naughtily named, “A Celebration of Heresy.” I blogged about it here.

Now, the conference organizers are giving you access to what was thought, expressed and debated at the heresy hoe-down. “The 30 scholars and activists who contributed to this book do not necessarily agree on every issue,” confess the editors. “However, we all agree on the imperative of a radical reformation in the Muslim world — a reform under the guidance of the Quran and with the light of reason, our Creator’s greatest gift to us…”

But wait! There’s more. We also hope you’ll tune into a TV documentary that captures the revolt of a reform-minded Muslim at a mainstream American mosque. That reformer is Asra Nomani, single mom, defiant journalist and ardent foe of segregation — a widespread practice in the Muslim sanctuaries of the United States.

Asra takes on the tribalists in her forthcoming PBS film, “The Mosque in Morgantown.” Watch the trailer, then catch the entire program on June 15 at 10 pm Eastern.

With Asra Nomani at a shared book-signing, New York 2005. (Courtesy: Aachara Kinan)

And for God’s sake, fear not the political incorrectness of peering into Muslim conversations. As Martin Luther King Jr. pleaded, “Never again can we afford to live with narrow, provincial, outside agitator idea.” In an interdependent world, there is no outsider. Like it or not, we’re in this mess together.

I, for one, am grateful that Lorri Paulucci wants more information. May she embolden other nosey non-Muslims.

Defeating Islamophobia

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 25, 2009

A few days ago, I wrote about Aska. She’s a university student in Poland who wonders how to combat Islamophobia. Specifically, what can she tell her friends and teachers who seem to believe that Muslims are inherently arrogant and misogynist hell-raisers? Read the beginnings of my response.

Of course, I affirm the humanity of Muslims. But I won’t romanticize Islam or sanitize how we widely practice it. The fact is, Muslims can be remarkably arrogant when accounting for the human rights abuses that we inflict on each other, never mind how we so often treat those outside of the ummah (global Muslim community).

Rather than own our dysfunction, we reflexively blame America, Israel, Christianity, materialism, MTV, McDonald’s, and the ever-convenient Jews. An equally popular coping mechanism is to remain mute about our self-inflicted shortcomings, for fear of damaging relations with our higher-ups — be they parents, imams, or even secular leaders of our communities.

Bottom line: Our prickly defensiveness stops Muslims from presenting ourselves as complex, multi-dimensional beings. In effect, we’re conspiring against ourselves, giving Aska and other non-Muslim allies precious little ammo to confront bona fide bigots.

So how can this young woman of good will persuade her peers and educators that Muslims are capable of both humility and humanity?

The key, I believe, is to promote the voices of reform-minded Muslims. These people remain faithful to the just ideals of Islam, but acknowledge the trouble with Muslims today. (Hmmm… “The Trouble with Muslims Today.” What a great idea for a book title!)

Reform-minded Muslims struggle not so much with Islam as with the fear that comes from speaking truth to power within Islam.

When publicizing their sincere struggles, we send two messages: First, Muslims who value reason and freedom actually exist. Second, they deserve to be brought out of the shadows — for everyone’s education.

Here, then, are the words of three reform-minded Muslims who wrote to me after Aska emailed her question about fighting Islamophobia. Their words are the antidote to anti-Islam prejudices on the part of non-Muslims, and anti-modern biases on the part of Muslims:

* “I read The Trouble with Islam Today and can’t tell you how much of an eye opener it was for me, the muslim woman, who was raised up with fear of the dad, the teacher and God. For the first time, the things I was brought up not questioning, became questionable. I started thinking and reasoning facts, I’m 37, too late in life, I know, and I just wish I read it earlier…

There’s turmoil now in my brain, and I’m glad there is. I still can’t help relating every small bad thing that happened to me to God’s wrath for something I’ve done, though I’m very innocent :), I’ve always lived by the book and did the right thing. I guess fear is so embedded in my soul, and hopefully one day, I get rid of it.” - Mona El Samaty, Egypt

* “I have come to know about your mission to resuscitate the true spirit of Islam [as] a voice of sanity in this psychopathic world of biases. Being in Pakistan with an inquisitive head on my shoulders, I have some idea of the travails that you have chosen to face…

We have a female breed here which seems to buy constrictive dogmatic notions to such a degree that it takes the likes of me, arguing in favour their liberation, for which I am seen as less faithful and even immoral. Moreover, the biased way in which our mothers treat their male and female children, makes me dare propound that today it’s more the ‘women against women’ than the ‘men against women’, at least in Pakistan.

I really feel sad when I see that the practices in Islam, rather than giving the courage and confidence to live a free and inquisitive life, renders most of my fellow-religionists to live as ‘born’ cowards. I call them born cowards because the religio-cultural training behind this in our societies starts right from the moment of the birth.

Respected Ms. Manji, people like you serve as a source of energy for the ones like me, living in Muslim states, who cannot afford to ’speak out loud’. I tried to, but I was made to realize that I would offend many and win almost none, with harassment being the cherry on the top. May Allah always bless you with the best. And bless me with the courage to stand up, like you have chosen to.” - Muhammad Khurram Yaqub, Lahore, Pakistan.

* “Thanks so much for posting the reformist translation of the Quran. I converted 7 years ago and the basic faith principles were appealing, but I quickly learned that my views were NOT accepted by mainstream muslims. I wondered if I really was muslim?

But I always thought that the hadiths [reported words and deeds of the Prophet] were a bunch of lies made up by men with beards and that religion can be often contorted by man, so I felt like at some point I will have more clarity and I should stick with my gut feeling.

Now I have some material to read and help me interpret the Quran. For many, many years I’ve been searching for an English translation that makes sense! Keep posting great things on your site, I will be checking often.” - Julie, USA

These are the Muslims whom Aska should bring to the attention of her university friends and teachers. They are the Muslims who speak to the corrupt reality of contemporary Islam, while holding fast to the ideals for which Islam once stood — and, in its best moments, still does.

Above all, these are the Muslims whom other Muslims should support if they’re frustrated with being framed through one lens. Mona, Muhammad and Julie are proof positive of the diversity within our faith, if only we allowed ourselves to express it. Out Loud.

The first step to fighting Islamophobia is that we Muslims must stop stereotyping ourselves.

Your big questions, my big mouth

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 20, 2009

With students at the University of Western Ontario, April 2009

Students who attend my lectures are brazenly pelting me with deep and complicated questions. It’s my fault for traveling the world and delivering speeches entitled, “The Power of Asking Questions – Out Loud.”

Am I an idiot? Before you answer, let it be known that I’m adopting a new title: “The Power of Asking Questions — to People Other Than Me. Thank you, Good-Bye and Good Luck.”

Alright, I know the title is too long. In any event, I can’t run away. Not before the summer.

So here’s one of the questions that I’ve been reflecting on lately. It comes from Poland — and , appropriately enough, it’s asked by someone called Aska. (When you live up to your name, you deserve a response):

“I’m student of International Relations on Cardinal Wyszynski Uniwersity in Warsaw. Your book is fantastic for me - help me understand problem in muslim country. But I have problem with one matter: Islamophobia in Europe. Tell me how we (students, youth, people) should fight wrong stereotypes? I have a lot of muslim friends, I understand what they feel, what they think. I know that there r good muslim and bad muslim, this is same for christian, jew, hindu. But when I talk with my friends & sometimes my uniwersity teacher, they told this: muslim r no good, they r egotistic, they not respect women, they have wrong thinking, islam is destructive religion etc. Soon I will make a speech about Islamophobia in Europe. Please help me present the important & persuasive arguments for my friends & teacher.”

I love the irony: Someone wants me to help her debunk stereotypes of Muslims when I’m so often accused of perpetuating those very stereotypes.

Didn’t Aska get the memo that I’m a self-hating Muslim because I challenge my fellow Muslims to rise above their lazy prejudices?

Is Aska a self-hating Pole for challenging members of her own nation to do the same?

Or would Muslims consider her a constructive member of the human family?

It might be cheeky to pose these questions. But my intent is more profound. If we’re serious about fighting stereotypes of Islam, it’s we Muslims who must lead the effort by allowing diverse voices within our own communities to flourish.

The fact is, reform-minded Muslims exist. But instead of giving them the permission to express their truths, we label them self-haters. Too often, we go even further to intimidate reformists into silence.

Then we tell earnest Westerners like Aska to convince her fellow Westerners of Muslim goodness. To help her, we emphasize that “Islam means peace.”

Reality check: Irshad means guidance. Clearly many Muslims believe I’m misguided. So which is it, people? Am I divinely guided because my name says so? If not, then why should anybody take to heart that Islam is peaceful simply because of its name?

After tossing Aska’s question in my head for a month, I’ve realized this: The answer that she needs can’t come from me; it must come from Muslims everywhere. We have to stop treating ourselves like a monolith and thereby giving non-Muslims a reason to see us that way too.

In my next blog post, I’ll help us get there. At the same time, I’ll help Aska show her friends and teachers a different side of Islam — without sanitizing the very real troubles within Islam today.

Now go ask someone else your annoyingly tough question. I’m just a little busy.

Christian and Muslim - at the same time?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Announcements, Q & A on Apr 12, 2009

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

I’ve just returned from Easter service at the Riverside Church in New York City. Before his impassioned sermon, the Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton announced that next Sunday, April 19, Riverside will host an Episcopal minister who’s just been defrocked because… she’s also a Muslim.

You got that right: Rev. Ann Holmes Redding is a Christian clergywoman who has converted to Islam but refuses to choose between the two religions. How’s that possible? I don’t know. But I can’t wait to find out.

It’s not just personal curiosity that propels me to clear my schedule and attend Rev. Redding’s talk next week. It’s also the fact that last week, I received a profound question from a student at one of my university lectures. After she heard me describe myself as a Muslim who appreciates multiple perspectives, the student wrote: “How can one have true faith in one religion and have a pluralistic attitude with which to meet people who hold other beliefs? Don’t these two ideas contradict each other?”

I don’t believe they contradict each other, and I’ll explain why in my next book.

But I also don’t go as far as Rev. Redding in acquiring a second religion to express my pluralistic impulse. It’s true that I’ve jokingly referred to myself as a Bu-Mu, or Buddhist Muslim. I think the Buddha got it right that attachment, including attachment to one identity, creates suffering since affixing ourselves to labels prevents personal — and communal — growth. For that same reason, I feel no need to “convert” to Buddhism or any other creed.

Which is why I’m intrigued that Rev. Redding does feel that need. Judging by this interview, she seems to be saying that Christianity is substantively no different from Islam, so embracing both is a blessing. But if there’s no real difference, then why go through the process of converting?

Moreover, why would a female Christian minister adopt a religion that has — count ‘em — not one official female cleric in its ranks? “It’s not about the dogmatic practitioners,” I can hear my own inner dialogue replying. “It’s about the God Who transcends human pettiness.”

But if the God of Christianity is the God of Islam, then we’re back to square one: Why bother converting? Why not love the best of each faith and dispense with the formalities; the very formalities that calcify faith into dogma and make people believe that God is some gatekeeper of club membership? (The fact that Rev. Redding now covers her hair around Muslims — a custom straight out of tribal culture, not faith — tells me that her Islam is already corrupted by the clubby consensus of the dogmatists.)

It seems to me that if God is love, then God accepts all attempts at sincere and peaceful communication, whether you bend, bow, breathe deeply, or simply whisper from the seat a of New York City subway train. If god isn’t so merciful, then I’m not convinced it’s a god worth worshiping.

Precisely because I appreciate multiple perspectives, I’ll be listening closely to Rev. Redding on April 19 at the Riverside Church. If you live in New York, please consider joining me.

Feminist Quran?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Announcements, Q & A on Mar 19, 2009

Rev. Della Fahnestock, president of the Alliance of Faith & Feminism, emailed me this question: “Has the feminist version/translation of the Koran been published yet? Please keep us posted.”

Gals of God, I’ll go one better: Rather than just keeping you posted, I’m posting a progressive translation of the Quran for free-of-charge download right here on irshadmanji.com.

This translation could have been available three years ago. You’ve likely never heard about it because the translators — two women and a man, all of them Muslim-Americans — have had a helluva time getting published. They reached a deal with a major U.S. publishing house. But after the Prophet Muhammad cartoon riots, the publishing house bailed on its contract.

Fear didn’t stop the translators, though. They self-published and have given me the permission to make their translation accessible to all who visit this site. (See the box entitled “Reformist Quran” in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.)

To be honest, I’m not sure you can call this version of the Quran “feminist.” After all, feminism is as much a matter of interpretation as faith is.  What I will say is that this translation exposes just how orthodox the “moderate” and “mainstream” renditions of the Quran actually are.

Does that make reform-minded translators whack-jobs? Judge for yourself: One of the translators — a Turkish-American scholar named Edip Yuksel — recently co-founded a group called “Muslims for Peace, Justice and Progress.”  The MPJP has written a well-reasoned letter to President Obama, asking him to work with Muslims in the West to restore America’s moral authority worldwide.  The letter criticizes Israel.  Hardly whacko by Muslim standards.

What the letter doesn’t do is reduce Islam’s ailments to Israel’s existence. Whaaa…? Whoa. Whackeeee.

I’ve signed the letter. So has a growing list of Muslim intellectuals and activists. You can, too.

But if we Muslims are to acquire any moral authority on human rights, we can’t merely gripe about the United States and Israel. As I document in The Trouble with Islam Today, our problems began well before either country was born. Deny that and you’re denying the notion of Muslims as human beings with agency of our own. Thanks.

To have credibility preaching to others, we first need to act upon the message in this reformist translation of the Quran. Now that it’s posted here for free, how many of us will accept the challenge to read it?

Three reasons to fight

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Mar 07, 2009

I get a lot of emails. A. Lot. Whether they’re hateful or grateful, your messages motivate me. If you want to know what keeps me going, look no further than these three voices.

Let me begin with a non-Muslim who grabbed my heart by invoking “universal values”:

“Irshad, we have seemingly nothing in common: I am a college student from Prague, I am a heterosexual male and I do not believe in God. Story of my life, unlike that of yours, is by no means adventurous. But still there is something we share: our love for freedom and courage. The fact that two people with so different backgrounds share these values suggests that they truly are universal.

That leads me to the first thing I want to thank you for. To me, you are the answer to the tough question: where shall we draw the line between respect for other cultures and unacceptable withdrawal from universal values? I strongly believe that all laws and all governments (whether they apply to a whole country or a small village) which try to silence people like you are wrong and should be changed. I know that you focus mainly on the Muslim world but as you surely know, even in the liberal democracies of the Western world (among which I can now count the country I live in - Czech Republic), the fight for free thought is far from being won…

This leads me to my second thanks. Reading your articles and watching your videos always reminds me that instead of moaning about human stupidity and cowardice, I should use my time to make people less stupid and more courageous. This includes me. I know you were in Prague few months ago. A week before the conference you spoke at, a friend of mine called and said: ‘I am on the organizing team and we could still use some help. Wanna join?’ I was like: ‘Maybe, we’ll see…’

I did not take that offer. Then, a day or two after the conference ended, I found out that you had been there! I could have listened to your speech, maybe even talked to you or got my copy of The Trouble with Islam Today signed. I became angry with myself and cursed my own laziness. I remain a lazy person, but thanks to you, believe it or not, I do not miss opportunities so easily now.

For all these reasons, I felt an urge to express my gratitude. Thank you Irshad. You are one of my favourite neighbours in this global village of ours.” – Michal Pecena, Czech Republic

Irshad replies: You’ve given me sweet, simple joy, you atheist infidel bum. Your talk of universal values is, frankly, jet fuel for this believer. Speaking at a school last week, I noticed a famous Gandhi quote on the classroom door: ‘Be the change you wish to see.’ Then I explained to the students that the same sentiment can be found in the Quran: ‘God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.’ Welcome to yet another value that transcends time, culture and situation.

Speaking of universal values, Gandhi studied a white guy named Henry David Thoreau. In turn, a black guy named Martin Luther King Jr. studied Gandhi. We would all be the poorer if each of them stuck with his ‘own’ kind. Which is why I thank you, Michal, for embracing me as a neighbor — despite my misguided love of God.

For all your laziness, at least your brain is power-producing ideas. Not so with the next email. Here’s a texbook example of utter intellectual lethargy. When I receive messages like this, it’s screamingly clear why my conscience kicks into gear:

I HOPE YOU FUCKIN BURN IN HELL IRSHAD YOU BASTARD OF A BITCH MOTHERFUCKER

IM A MUSLIM, YOUR A FUCKIN FLOP, YEAH I HOPE YOU FUCKIN READ THIS YOU BITCHFACE MOTHERFUCKER

YOU MAKIN MONEY OFF SELLING GAY BOOKS TOO, ALLAH IS PATIENT WITH YOU FOR NOW, INCASE YOU MIGHT CHANGE AND OPEN YOUR GAY EYES

YOU THINK YOUR SOO BIG WITH YOUR ACTIVISM BULLSHIT, IF OOONLY YOUR WERE IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR I CUT YOUR HEAD IN THE NAME OF ALLAH SOO THAT HE MAY FORGIVE YOU

IM A TRUE MUSLIM, I CONVERTED MY FRIEND, I KNOW GAYS, LET THEM LIVE (I GUESS??), TEACH THEM, ITS WRONG!!!!—– BUT YOU YOU BEAVER LICKIN MONGOLOID FRUIT PICKIN RAINBOW REACHING DUMB FUCKO—- YOU KNOW IT IN YOUR GAY SUBCONSCIENCE THAT YOUR SOOO WRONG AND PROUD OF YOUR GAYSELF YOU UNMODEST UNHUMBLE GAY ANTI-MUSLIM OUTCASTED BATTYGAL

YOU WANT TO SEEK HELP??? COME TO ME MAYBE I CAN UNGAY YOU——

STAKH-FHIRUULLLA [A badly spelled version of “God forgive me”]
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA
STAKH-FHIRUULLLA”
– Mahin Rahman

Irshad replies: Rather than dignify the previous email with an analysis, I’ll end with an email that comes from another Muslim:

“Hello our beloved Irshad,

It is great honour to me to write this email to you and hoping that you be in a good health. First of all I am Ahmed from Egypt who loves and adores your efforts to teach Islam reform & moral courage. You as a pioneer must tell your thoughts to your students and i want to be your student and servant because i want to learn from you but i do not know how to start? Please help me to be reformed within real islam. I know that I am being too heavy for you but i think you as the first teacher must lead me to right way. Please help to be your student asap.” – yours/Ahmed

Irshad replies: Ahmed, my brother, you are indeed a servant. But you don’t serve me; you serve your non-violent conscience and the creative force that dwells restlessly within it. If this is understood, then here’s a starting point: Please answer the 4 questions posted on the Moral Courage Project page. These questions will help you clarify what, exactly, you feel the need to change in your community. You can then focus your efforts and increase your chances of having an impact.

But I have another idea, too. A few days from now, I’ll introduce a student who, like you, comes from a culture that values conformity. Yet she did something for the cause of Muslim reform and moral courage that I think is non-conformist, brave and useful. You can do it, too, and in my next blog entry, I’ll reveal this idea.

Why wait until then? Because you’ve got homework, young man! (I’m waiting for your answers to the 4 questions…)

For now, remember: This is why we fight.

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