FROM INDONESIA - A BOOK LAUNCH TO REMEMBER“Halo!” Or, for the more adventurous, “Selamat siang semuanya” -- good day to you all. I’m in Jakarta, 25 hours of flying from New York. Why? To launch the Indonesian edition of my book (See the cover below). Yes, The Trouble with Islam Today is finally published in the world’s largest Muslim country. You gotta believe that’s progress.
This, too, is progress: Indonesia’s Minister of Women’s Empowerment has endorsed the book launch, as has the country’s most admired liberal leader and former president, Abdurrahman Wahid - also known as Gus Dur.
Today, such diversity is increasingly challenged by Saudi influences. That’s why I’m encouraging Indonesians to step forward and show the Muslim world that new leadership can from from Asia, not just Arabia. At the same time, I’m encouraging Western media to look at Indonesia for signs -- and stories -- of where Islam can be going. |
INTRIGUED? CHECK OUT THE FULL PHOTO ALBUM OF MY INDONESIA LAUNCHAmong the characters you’ll meet: * Dr. Musdah Mulia, a feminist professor whom the Jakarta Post has named, along with me, as one of three Muslim women making constructive change in Islam today. * Luqman Hakim Arifin, my publisher who distributed bold black-and-red T-shirts bearing the Indonesian title of my book. Talk about having faith without fear. * The young, dynamic team at KPI, a human rights organization that’s co-sponsoring my tour. I dropped by their offices on the weekend. Everybody was hard at work. * Oet Eno, known as the Tracy Chapman of Indonesia, and Lola Amaria, one of the country’s most famous actresses. * Dancers who combine Javanese customs with Islamic prayers to deliver one of the most vibrant performances that I’ve ever witnessed.
Want to download the Indonesian translation? It's free of charge on my website - along with the Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Malay versions. Many thanks to the donors of Project Ijtihad for making all of these editions accessible to hundreds of thousands of reform-minded Muslims. In June, I’ll update you on a wildly busy spring for my Moral Courage Project at New York University — and how you can participate in the coming months. Meanwhile, enjoy the Indonesia photo album. As my tour advances, the photo gallery will grow. Keep checking in! Terima kasih (thank you),
PS: remember to link your blog, site, MyYahoo! or Google homepage to irshadmanji.com by using my RSS feed. It's the automatic way to stay in touch. |
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Indonesia has as many Muslims as the entire Middle East. But more than the Middle East, Indonesia represents the possibilities of a positive future -- with its 17,000 islands, 300 ethnicities and history of co-existence among Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and even transsexuals, like the young woman at right.
