Status
Available
Call number
Publication
St. Martin's Griffin (2005), Edition: Reprint, 240 pages
Description
In blunt, provocative, and deeply personal terms, Irshad Manji unearths the troubling cornerstones of mainstream Islam today: tribal insularity, deep-seated anti-Semitism, and an uncritical acceptance of the Koran as the final, and therefore superior, manifesto of God. In this open letter to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, Manji asks such questions as: "Who is the real colonizer of Muslims--America or Arabia? Why are we all being held hostage by what's happening between the Palestinians and the Israelis? Why are we squandering the talents of women, fully half of God's creation?" Manji offers a practical vision of how the United States and its allies can help Muslims undertake a reformation that empowers women, promotes respect for religious minorities, and fosters a competition of ideas. Her vision revives Islam's lost tradition of independent thinking.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member heinous-eli
Manji unfortunately lacks a deep grounding in Islamic theology and the history of Islamic interpretation, and so the theology she proposes is flawed from its inception. She believes that all that she perceives as negativity in Islam stems from mullahs, when in reality, it stems from actual Islamic
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practice and edict. A very well-meaning effort on the part of a Western Muslim, but ultimately meaningless. Show Less
LibraryThing member GeekGoddess
Ms. Manji is a Muslim whose family immigrated to Canada in 1972, when Idi Amin expelled East Asians from Uganda. Her book is written as an open letter to her fellow Muslims. In summary, from the back cover, she writes: "Islam is on very thin ice with me...Through our screaming self-pity and our
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conspicuous silences, we Muslims are conspiring against ourselves. We're in crisis and we're dragging the rest of the world with us. If ever there was a moment for an Islamic reformation, it's now. For the love of God, what are we doing about it?" Her vision is to retrieve "Ijtihad," the lost tradition of independent thinking. Although I am not personally familiar with her, Ms. Manji is a known journalist in Canada, and has won prizes for her forthright opinions as well as death threats from some of her co-religionists. Show Less
LibraryThing member ekissel
A thoughtful look at the sources of intolerance and human rights violations within Islamic cultures - is it the culture or the religion? Although I suspect Ms. Manji and I disagree on many things I found her "open letter" thoughtful and challenging at the same time. The author's intended goal of
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having an honest conversation about the global practice of Islam is deftly handled. Very courageous; I enjoyed the conversation. Show Less
LibraryThing member RobinReardon
This book is full of facts and real-life truths. In this open letter, a call for reform of Islam, Manji makes a compelling case for worshiping strategically rather than tactically. Some reviewers have said she doesn't present other sides; I say she didn't promise to do that. The book's title is not
Among many other astoundingly insightful points, she says that one of the biggest hurdles for Muslims is the tendency to apply the Qur’an as though the practitioners still lived centuries ago, in a desert civilization, following behavior and rules that made sense then but might no longer apply, given the knowledge and social infrastructure to which we have access today.
Manji is a journalist who has traveled broadly in the Islamic world, and in making her point she speaks openly and honestly about her experiences with the practices common to fundamentalist versions of Islam, including what it’s like to conform fully with the traditional dress and demeanor of a strict Muslim woman. The waste, as she sees it, of fully half of Islam’s humanity as the rights—and brains—of women are dismissed, screams for the reform she seeks.
Manji is a devout Muslim. She is a lesbian. And she lives behind bullet-proof glass.
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ISLAM TODAY, it's THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM TODAY. And she puts her finger right on it.Among many other astoundingly insightful points, she says that one of the biggest hurdles for Muslims is the tendency to apply the Qur’an as though the practitioners still lived centuries ago, in a desert civilization, following behavior and rules that made sense then but might no longer apply, given the knowledge and social infrastructure to which we have access today.
Manji is a journalist who has traveled broadly in the Islamic world, and in making her point she speaks openly and honestly about her experiences with the practices common to fundamentalist versions of Islam, including what it’s like to conform fully with the traditional dress and demeanor of a strict Muslim woman. The waste, as she sees it, of fully half of Islam’s humanity as the rights—and brains—of women are dismissed, screams for the reform she seeks.
Manji is a devout Muslim. She is a lesbian. And she lives behind bullet-proof glass.
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LibraryThing member Niecierpek
What a book! Passionate, honest and powerful. The author who is a Canadian lesbian Muslim says it is time to start asking questions of her faith and stop taking Koran literally.
LibraryThing member lindsay39
Excellent! Not at all a bashing of Islam, but a genuine and reasonable attempt to separate the cultureal baggage from the religion. And a call to eliminate the baggage and return to the spirit of the Quaran.
LibraryThing member eleanorsread
In trying to understand the heart and soul of Islam, I found Irshad Manji's book refreshing and educational. However, it is just one side of the story, her side, and it is very compelling, but could be considered `extremely controversial. The idea from a practicing Muslim that Islam should be
I think she presents her theory in the form of a letter boldly and fearlessly, as an independent thinker, and I found it educational and enjoyable to read. It is not the end all, but it is an extraordinary vision of how Islam should change to empower woman and respect religious minorities.
I thought this book and the author to be fascinating.
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reformed is refreshing and bold, as would the call for reformation of any organized religion. The idea is bound to raise hackles. I think she presents her theory in the form of a letter boldly and fearlessly, as an independent thinker, and I found it educational and enjoyable to read. It is not the end all, but it is an extraordinary vision of how Islam should change to empower woman and respect religious minorities.
I thought this book and the author to be fascinating.
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LibraryThing member loafhunter13
One Muslim woman’s recounting of how her life shaped her vision of Islam’s current state and her ideas on how to help the non-fundamentalist majority of Muslims take a second look at moving their faith forward. Some interesting ideas such as the dominance of Arabic Islam in a religion where
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large % of Muslims are non-Arab. Her insights into the failings of Islam do have merit and could propel some good discussion. Childish writing style and poor arguments weaken the book. Seemed to have an agenda as a lesbian woman growing up in a free society to rebel against things she has not really experienced. The points with merit seem to be secondary to her coming across as an enlightened, forward minded feminist. Fails to account for other viewpoints. Show Less
LibraryThing member funfunyay
A good book by a Muslim lesbian Canadian about Islam in the world today. I am very proud to have a woman unafraid to speak her mind so as a fellow Canadian. I think she raises a lot of good points, although I have to admit she often strikes me as not really comprehending the entirety of what is
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going on. Commendable and most read-worthy. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwilder
Well written open letter to fellow Muslims. I agree with the premise that Islam, to the world, appears as reactionary and fundamentalist. Moderate, practising Muslims are not represented in the dialogue. Irshad makes a call to her fellow Muslims to show the fringe for what it is (i.e. not
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representative of the religion). I was particularly interested in her visits to Isreal and her appreciation of the religious and political dialogue in that country where many divergent views are represented. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheEllieMo
A thought-provoking read that has made me keen to learn more. I found the six chapters of this book excellent. As an atheist who knows little about Islam, I found much to learn from the book, and much that I wanted to learn. I suspect it may be an unintended consequence of this book that I feel I
Where the books loses points, for me, is that the author fails to acknowledge that some of the problems she highlights in relation to Islam, could equally apply to Catholicism or other religions; nor does she recognise that the roots of any religion lie in the desire to control, and will always reflect the traditions and mores of the area and time in which it originated.
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can understand, better than I could before, some actions taken in the name of Islam. I can also see where the author is coming from on her call for reform; the concept of, and the author's questioning of, 'foundamentalism' is very relevant, and needs to be considered by, at the very least, every Western Muslim. Where the books loses points, for me, is that the author fails to acknowledge that some of the problems she highlights in relation to Islam, could equally apply to Catholicism or other religions; nor does she recognise that the roots of any religion lie in the desire to control, and will always reflect the traditions and mores of the area and time in which it originated.
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LibraryThing member JBGUSA
This book has some new information and collates a lot of information from previous authors on the perils of radical Islam. She takes the position that, shorn of previous military glory and overall accomplishments they have retreated to their desert roots. She calls it "foundamentalism," a play on
Still the book is well work reading.
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"fundamentalism." The reason I give it three rather than four stars is she places too much hope and emphasis on "ijtihad," which she defines as a previous era of Islamic openness. Still the book is well work reading.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003
Physical description
240 p.; 5.54 inches
ISBN
0312327005 / 9780312327002