My Encounter With the Notorious and Misunderstood Irshad Manji

Posted on November 2, 2007
Filed Under US October '07 |

I recently had the chance to meet Irshad Manji at a conference in Washington DC.

The first time I discovered Irshad Manji was in a not-so-pleasant article which painted her as a sell-out and an opportunist . Apparently many Muslims think she’s the Devil in disguise. Needless to say, those were the kind of articles I continued coming across about her. Then one day I decided to have a look at her website just to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Standing happily in pictures together with Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali isn’t exactly going to win you many Muslim friends. My mind was made-up and I chose to dislike her. This lasted for a while but my impression of her eventually changed.

American Muslim blogger, Ali Eteraz has written quite extensively about Irshad Manji. The following are just some of the posts he authored:

His coverage of her took a change from negative to positive. That caught my attention and so I began re-examining her closely.

It became evidently clear to me that Irshad Manji was conducting a shift in strategy (and very possibly also experiencing a change in heart). In fact her Muslim-Refusenik website is no more. It now redirects to her new website: IrshadManji.com, which to my utter delight comes in a blog-like format. Yaaay! Technically speaking, it’s a smart move.

This was her last update on Muslim-Refusenik:

Posted August 26, 2007

This will be my final update on muslim-refusenik.com. I’m about to launch my new site, which will stand for Muslim reform and moral courage rather than merely against all that troubles Islam today. I’ll also be blogging, posting more free-of-charge translations to defy the censors, and making it easier to use and distribute my content wherever you are in this world.

As soon as I read that, I was converted to a curious fan. What Irshad wrote reflected to me that she - just like all human beings - is pursuing her journey and struggle while at the same time discovering herself. Her new approach was a huge change from the old one and it made me very happy.

On Monday morning, October the 22nd, Irshad Manji walked into the conference building - alone! I was quite shocked. Given what I read about her living in a house with bullet-proof windows, I thought she was at least, at least going to have one body guard walking with her. There were none.

I didn’t want to miss her and so I hurriedly approached with a bagel-filled mouth, a cup of tea in one hand and a bitten bagel in the other. Not surprisingly, I couldn’t utter much.

She grabbed herself a light breakfast and we sat down. I told her that of all the invited speakers, she was the one I looked most forward to meet.

“Let me just say that I didn’t like you previously” I frankly told Irshad Manji. I think she was slightly taken-aback by my blunt honesty. “Quite recently though Ali Eteraz, a blogger you’ve corresponded with previously, pointed out some things about you that changed my mind” I continued.

I explained that while there are certainly some areas of disagreement, I strongly supported the overall goal of Project Ijtihad. The monopolization of Islamic interpretations by a circle of wacky male-dominated clerics must be opposed. We Muslims need ijtihadi works that reconcile Islam with modern times. We need a Sharia that is pluralistic and that protects the rights of women and non-Muslims.

Irshad made it clear to me that she’s not trying to enforce her views on people. That has never been her mission. She simply believes that change is badly needed and is trying to encourage Muslims especially young women to speak up. Indeed she’s misunderstood by many Muslims. It was her controversial book though that sealed her status as Irshad Notorious Manji in the eyes of most Muslims. I read some parts of it and I must say it contains various ideas which I disagree with and which I’m sure a significant number of Muslims will fume over.

When I told her I was surprised she traveled up and down without protection, she gave an interesting reply. It went like something along the following lines: “if I encourage others to speak up while I myself keep protection then it’s very hypocritical of me. They can’t afford the same luxury. That’s when I decided after much thinking that I’d rather not have any bodyguards. If I get hurt, then I get hurt. If I die, so be it.” I admired that.

A day later, we met again. This time we talked for a whole hour about a number of things including her website’s new format, the blogosphere, her goals, the documentaries she made, the inner workings of Western media and Islam of course. I was glad to know she’s networking behind the scenes with heavyweights in the field of Islamic law and reform such as the Sudanese Abdullahi An-Na’im. We need more cooperation and dialogue, not useless vitriol.

I suggested to Irshad to open her blog up for comments. Her sphere of influence in the blogosphere will grow and the potential conversation surely can’t be all that bad. She might start doing that every now and then whenever there is enough time to moderate. Her concern of receiving hateful comments is well founded.

Speaking of hateful comments, when she first began, 80% of her inbox was usually hate mail and 20% fan mail. Now it’s the opposite. She receives a lot of support from many Muslims. More importantly her work is making an impact.

My conversation with her dragged on and was very enjoyable. When it came to an end, I wished her well and we both departed the hotel lobby.

Irshad Manji and I won’t see eye-to-eye on numerous issues, both sociopolitical and Islamic. We’ll definitely have our fair share of disagreements but she is most certainly not a sell-out or a greedy opportunist. She’s someone on a mission and a journey of self-discovery from what I can tell. We share a common goal - opposing the monopolization of Islamic interpretations and spreading awareness about what ijtihad is especially amongst young Muslims who aren’t familiar with it.

Those making venomous attacks against her are offering nothing but hate. I do however believe that critiquing her work and ideas is perfectly legitimate. After all such critiques are healthy and necessary for a fruitful debate to occur, a debate which is needed if we are to engage in the exchange of ideas and perspectives. Too many unfortunately are practicing the former.

I’ve met her. I understand where she’s coming from. I’ve seen her talk and I’ve spent enough time with her to know for sure that she’s genuinely sincere and she’s very passionately involved. I say this without any ounce of doubt.

Oh and she doesn’t blog anonymously. :)

Comments

25 Responses to “My Encounter With the Notorious and Misunderstood Irshad Manji”

  1. The Conference: Washington DC, “the Belly of the Beast” : The Sudanese Thinker on November 2nd, 2007 8:13 am

    […] I knew that was my chance and so prompted by my curiosity, I immediately went up to the notorious Irshad Manji and introduced myself. (more juicy details on this and my second pre-scheduled one hour long conversation with her in an upcoming and separate post right here). […]

  2. Dave on November 2nd, 2007 9:28 am

    I’m not ready to let Manji off the hook yet. She has shown herself to be mercurial and opportunistic far too often for me to start believing that she’s sincere now without, at the VERY LEAST, openly denouncing some of her past remarks. There’s a reason open Muslim haters love to hold her up as an example and cite her as an “honest” or “good” muslim. As for ijtihad, yeah, I agree it should be the province of more than just the established Ulema, who I distrust in many ways, but it shouldn’t just be a matter of saying “This opinion I have is Islam”, which causes half the trouble in the first place with the worst elements of the Ulema. I don’t hate Manji, I just very deeply distrust her and her friends, and I won’t apologize for that.

    Anyway, like your blog. Take care.

  3. Andrew Brehm on November 2nd, 2007 10:02 am

    “They can’t afford the same luxury. That’s when I decided after much thinking that I’d rather not have any bodyguards. If I get hurt, then I get hurt. If I die, so be it.” I admired that.”

    You see? THAT is faith.

  4. Drima on November 2nd, 2007 10:03 am

    Hi Dave, your distrust is understandable. Like I said even I didn’t like her previously because I thought she was too closely associated with the Islamophobic elements of the Right. I wasn’t a fan of her old approach. I like the new a lot better. Plus after talking to her I’m convinced she’s not a bad person or a greedy opportunist. She’s genuinely passionate.

    And maaan is your blog’s theme amazingly cool and weird at the same time. :P

  5. Andrew Brehm on November 2nd, 2007 10:06 am

    “There’s a reason open Muslim haters love to hold her up as an example and cite her as an “honest” or “good” muslim.”

    Many “Muslim haters” have seen only those (heretical) Muslims who kill Jews and Americans or who support those who do. That is whom they hate.

    They don’t know that Islam is not what they see, because they have never seen the real Islam.

    They themselves are to blame for that because they have eyes and can see. But the real Islam is difficult to see these days…

    Manji just happens to be honest and open. It is quite possible that “Muslim haters” see that. The reason she said things in the past that “Muslim haters” agree with is simply that she was talking about the same group that “Muslim haters” know as “Muslims”. And she happens to be right about that group.

  6. Drima on November 2nd, 2007 10:11 am

    Andrew, I swear I LOVE the original way you can connect the dots sometimes to give some super unique perspectives. Brilliant! :D

  7. Sudanese Thinker Meets Irshad Manji « my treasure on November 2nd, 2007 3:34 pm

    […] http://www.sudanesethinker.com/2007/11/02/my-encounter-with-the-notorious-and-misunderstood-irshad-m… […]

  8. Dua'a on November 2nd, 2007 9:53 pm

    I read the first two or three chapters of “The problem with Islam today”. Just like you, I had a lot to disagree with her on, yet I had such respect for her for the fact that she searched and looked for answers rather than leaving Islam all together as many people do. I’m glad she finally got it, that the problem IS with muslims not Islam. Smart change, indeed.

  9. The Observer on November 3rd, 2007 3:48 pm

    I envy you man for meeting her. She is an exceptional woman. We are in disperate need for others like her in the arab world

  10. HalalHippie on November 3rd, 2007 10:25 pm

    Gotta agree with Andrew. Very many Westerners confuse crazy jihadies with Muslims.

    First time I heard of her was at the peak of the Battle of Khartoon (Denmark, bomb-in-turban cartoon, anyone? ) I saw her on CNN saying something like:

    “Instead of protesting violently against those misunderstandings about Islam, we - as Muslims - should ask ourselves, where did ‘they’ get these ideas from “.. oh, gotta love that gal!

    - and they I checked her refusenik site, and I thought “OMG, she’s gonna get herself killed”

    maybe the trouble IS Muslims :-) I thought I’d figured that out by myself, but it seems she beat me to it.

    and to think you’ve actually met her.

    What about her … ahem… immoral lifestyle ? I’ve discussed her with some Muslims who refuse to even listen to her for that particular reason.

  11. LN on November 3rd, 2007 11:58 pm

    “Battle of Khartoon” - LOL.

  12. Drima on November 4th, 2007 1:43 am

    “What about her … ahem… immoral lifestyle ?”

    Who am I to judge? :)

  13. halalhippie on November 4th, 2007 1:48 pm

    Who are you to judge ? (indeed)

    I heard the equation going something like :
    “Islam forbids homosexuality = no ‘true Muslim’ is gay = she’s no ‘true Muslim’ = whatever she says has no validity”

    How many of the average 20 yr old Sudanese would agree with you ?

  14. Andrew Brehm on November 4th, 2007 6:41 pm

    Does Islam forbid female homosexuality?

  15. halalhippie on November 4th, 2007 10:26 pm

    not directly, but a bunch of Muslims do.

  16. Andrew Brehm on November 4th, 2007 11:06 pm

    I thought I remembered that female homosexuality is not forbidden.

  17. Drima on November 5th, 2007 12:38 am

    Halahippie, nice equation. :)

    Truth is few would agree with me. Still though, her preference doesn’t negate the fact that she has many valid points.

    Andrew, the consensus is that homosexuality whether female or male is forbidden in Islam.

  18. Andrew Brehm on November 5th, 2007 9:32 am

    I thought the Quran specifically mentions male homosexuality but not female homosexuality.

  19. Don’t Judge a Muslim by her Cover (Jackson Sinder) « International Relations on November 6th, 2007 11:11 pm

    […] New York Times has described her as “Osama bin  Laden’s worse nightmare.” She advocates a revival of critical thinking and wants to encourage young Muslims to question the orthodox interpret… She has written books, articles and appeared on news shows all around the […]

  20. karen on November 7th, 2007 5:57 am

    Andrew,

    I think you are confusing Judaism with Islam…

  21. Andrew Brehm on November 7th, 2007 12:06 pm

    Karen,

    No. I know what the Tanakh says. But I seem to remember the Quran says something similar.

  22. karen on November 7th, 2007 4:52 pm

    Maybe you are right, but I can’t help you there as I don’t know what Islam says. I do recall that there is nothing said against female homosexuality in the Jewish religious texts. Am I correct?

  23. Andrew Brehm on November 7th, 2007 11:52 pm

    Karen,

    As far as I remember you are correct.

  24. Global Voices Online » Southern Sudan Has a New Health Hazard on November 12th, 2007 3:19 pm

    […] and Iraq's DailyVoices. He recently came back from a conference in which he was happy to meet Irshad Manji, a Canadian Muslim […]

  25. Marc on June 7th, 2008 10:24 pm

    More importantly her work is making an impact.

    The question is, what kind of impact. An impact that will be pleasing to God or to her own nafs?

    Does Islam forbid female homosexuality?

    Funny that this is an issue up for debate again. Yes - Islam does not differentiate between male or female homosexuality.

    That is why she cannot gain an upper hand for a majority of Muslims. And certainly not use the Tradition as a means of bolstering her points of view without indicting herself.

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