Synopses & Reviews
"I have to be honest with you. Islam is on very thin ice with me.... Through our screaming self-pity and our 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?"
In this open letter, 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's will. But her message is ultimately positive. She offers a practical vision of how Islam can undergo a reformation that empowers women, promotes respect for religious minorities, and fosters a competition of ideas. Her vision revives "ijtihad," Islam's lost tradition of independent thinking. In that spirit, Irshad has a refreshing challenge for both Muslims and non-Muslims: Don't silence yourselves. Ask questions---out loud. The Trouble with Islam Today is a clarion call for a fatwa-free future.
Irshad Manji is a journalist, television personality, and writer-in-residence at the University of Toronto. 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 arresting questions. "Who is the real colonizer of MuslimsAmerica or Arabia? Why are we squandering the talents of women, fully half of God's creation? What's our excuse for reading the Koran literally when its so contradictory and ambiguous? Is that a heart attack you're having? Make it fast. Because if more of us don't speak out against the imperialists within Islam, these guys will walk away with the show."
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. This book will inspire struggling Muslims worldwide to revisit the foundations of their faith. It will also compel non-Muslims to start posing the important questions without fear of being deemed "racists." In more ways than one, The Trouble with Islam is a clarion call for a fatwa-free future. "Feels like a revelation . . . a raw nerve ending for the Westshocking, raw, but mercifully, joyously, still alive."Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review "Frank, open, and intelligent . . . Manji's cause is, I believe, the most important new movement in several decades."Jane Mansbridge, Harvard University
"I always knew we had partners in the Arab-Muslim states, but the democratic movements that have now emerged have shown me just how many young people there want to give voice to their aspirations and achieve their full potential--something their governments and spiritual leaders have been blocking. It you want to get a taste of what they sound like, read [this] courageous book . . . Manji is a 36-year-old Canadian feminist who has dared to write a book calling for a reformation of Islam."Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times
"[Manji's] ideas have already set off a searching debate."Clifford Krauss, The New York Times
"Tightly reasoned and packed with knockout punches."Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette
"Manji is blazingly articulate."Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail (Canada)
"The Trouble with Islam is beyond controversial. It may ignite a firestorm of protest . . . [The author's] easy conversational style, addressed to 'my fellow Muslims,' makes it accessible to a wide range of readers."Leslie Scrivener, The Toronto Star
"Irshad Manji is a fresh, new, and intriguing voice of Islamic reform. This wonderfully written book will surprise you, educate you, even entertain you."Alan Dershowitz, author of The Case for Israel
"Uganda-born Manji fled with her Muslim family of South Asian extraction to Canada when she was two. Growing up there, she was affected as much by North American as by Muslim social conventions, and she became a woman with a career (in broadcasting) and an out lesbian. She remains Muslim, though 'hanging on by my fingernails.' She questions the sexism, anti-intellectualism, moral superiority and evasion, anti-Semitism, and Arab chauvinism she sees in Islam's public face. And, casting the book as a long open letter, she poses her questions, backed by hard facts and experience, directly to fellow Muslims. Of course, she doesn't shun non-Muslim readers (indeed, her vernacular style encourages them), who stand to be powerfully edified by her critique as well as relieved that, for once, they aren't being blamed for Islam's problems. She maintains that the Qur'an doesn't mandate the evils she sees in institutional Islam and that liberalization is as possible for Islam as it has been for Christianity and Judaism. Her sassy but earnest perspective seems a godsend."Booklist
Review
"...feels like a revelation...a raw nerve ending for the West - shocking, raw, but mercifully, joyously, still alive."
- Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review, 1/25/2004
"Irshad Manji is a fresh, new and intriguing voice of Islamic reform. This wonderfully written book will surprise you, educate you, even entertain you."
- Alan Dershowitz, author of The Case for Israel
"[Manji's] ideas have already set off a searching debate."
- Clifford Krauss, The New York Times
"Tightly reasoned and packed with knockout punches."
- Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette
"Manji is blazingly articulate."
- Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail (Canada)
"The Trouble with Islam is beyond controversial. It may ignite a firestorm of protest...her easy conversational style, addressed to 'my fellow Muslims,' makes it accessible to a wide range of readers."
- Leslie Scrivener, The Toronto Star
Synopsis
"I have to be honest with you. Islam is on very thin ice with me.... Through our screaming self-pity and our 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?"
In this open letter, 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's will. But her message is ultimately positive. She offers a practical vision of how Islam can undergo a reformation that empowers women, promotes respect for religious minorities, and fosters a competition of ideas. Her vision revives "ijtihad," Islam's lost tradition of independent thinking. In that spirit, Irshad has a refreshing challenge for both Muslims and non-Muslims: Don't silence yourselves. Ask questions---out loud. The Trouble with Islam Today is a clarion call for a fatwa-free future.
About the Author
Irshad Manji is an acclaimed journalist, lecturer, and human rights advocate based in Toronto. Recognizing Irshad's leadership, Oprah Winfrey honored her with a Chutzpah Award for "audacity, nerve, boldness, and conviction." Ms. magazine has named Irshad a "Feminist for the 21st Century." She is also a recipient of the Simon Wiesenthal Award for Valor.
Reading Group Guide
1. Irshad Manji writes her book in the form of an open letter. Do you like this approach? In what ways do you find this style successful or unsuccessful?
2. One of the biggest debates about this book is its title. Irshad has responded to the controversy by clarifying that the trouble is with Islam “today.” Does this change add balance to her argument?
3. Did you check Irshads sources on her Web site? If so, what did you think about this tactic? Did it engage you to go beyond the book?
4. Irshad has been criticized for challenging her fellow Muslims at a time when fear of Islam is rampant. Is there ever a good time to write a book like this?
5. Irshad defines herself as a Muslim refusenik. What does she mean by this statement and do you feel it is valid?
6. Irshad shows that the Koran contains passages that are both hostile and friendly toward women. So why does the public focus on the Korans negative verses? Is it the media, the mullahs, or the silent moderates who should take responsibility for Islams antifemale image?
7. Throughout the book, Irshad emphasizes ijtihad, Islams lost tradition of independent thinking. Why, according to her, did ijtihad die in much of the Muslim world?
8. Historically, Irshad claims, the rift between Muslims and Jews started well before the state of Israel existed. What does she see as the source of the rift?
9. Irshad distinguishes between religion and culture, saying that Arab culture places too strong a hold on the way Islam is practiced. What are her examples and do you agree with them?
10. Irshads campaign to revive ijtihad starts by economically empowering women in the Islamic world. Does this sound like a realistic solution? What can you do to support it?
11. Irshad quotes Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who said that every society needs people to create nonviolent tension and jolt others out of moral complacency. Is Islamic reform the new global civil rights movement? If so, what role does Irshad envision non-Muslims playing in this movement?
12. Do you share Irshads suspicions about interfaith dialogue?
13. What value does Irshad find in religion? Are dissidents like her entitled to “keep the faith” or is religion meant to be a set of rules by which you have to play if youre going to stay?
14. At the end of the book, Irshad tells us that a friend felt her tough love approach to Muslims needs more love. Does it?
15. In her acknowledgments, Irshad says that “despite being an observant Muslim, [my mother] never asked me not to write this book. She has, however, cautioned me not to anger God.” If your child were to write a controversial critique of your religion, what would you advise him or her?