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Re: Linda Belanger's "The Trouble with The Trouble with Islam" And: Irshad Manji's Trip to Israel From: Sheena V. Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:27 PM Subject: Response to Irshad Manji article I'm an American and sadly, even though I supposedly "had a good grasp of the news", in actuality, I knew nothing about the Israeli/Palestinean conflict. Then about six months ago, I bought this called "Gaza Strip". Finally, I understood a lot of things I did not know previously, Arabs and Muslims are used as scapegoats in our country a lot. Our media and politicians demonize them all the time. Anyway, I had heard of Irshad Manji so I did a search of her on google and I came to the above article. I had read some of her book: "The Trouble with Islam". I thought it was an ok book. Personally, I was really surprised about what she said about Israel also. She also came on a show with Bill Maher (I don't like Bill Maher) and she was saying "freedom is on the march" and she was so happy that Iraqis got to vote. It is really sad when Muslim people sell out. There is this Muslim writer - Fareed Zakaria. Totally conservative and he writes for Newsweek, I believe. For some reason, when a Muslim in America is conservative - like Fareed Zakaria and Irshad Manji - you see them on TV. But the vast majority of Muslims who want to tell Americans what is really going on their countries - are marginalized and their voices are not heard. I'm not Muslim but it makes me sad when people like Irshad Manji apparently choose profits over truth. Injustice over justice. From: Mohammed Abu Assi Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 3:51 PM Subject: Ms. Belanger Dear Ms. Belanger, Thank you, your article is a vindication to my father who raised 4 daughters and 3 sons, never treated the girls in any way less than equal if not better than boys, my sisters educations and careers are witness to that fact. After all it is not your religion it is what you make out of it. If Irshad Manji's father was abusive it was him not the Islam as a whole. There are so many good and bad and any thing inbetween, in every faith, color, gender or race. All the best regards. From: Y&D Yassir Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 1:35 AM Subject: Thanks Dear Sirs, We would like to thank you and thank Ms. Linda Belenger for the excellent review of the "Trouble with Islam" How appropriate of Ms. Belanger to call her review "The Trouble with the Trouble with Islam" Islam is no different from any major religion of today. It is also true that Islam was and still is very tolerant of non Moslems. It was the Moslems and the Arabs, whom Ms. Manji criticizes, who were the bridge by which Western civilization crossed over from the old world to the new. This seems to have escaped the mind of Ms. Manji. In her endeavor to please her benefactors, the neo cons, Ms. Manji enthusiastically and blindly blames Islam for everything that has happened to her since childhood. She blames her father's religiosity for her harsh upbringing, as if only in Islam one finds such practices. The media in the western world is full of stories of abuse of children by their parents and most disturbing by clergy. Writers are supposed to be fair, just, unbiased and open minded. Ms. Manji, in her blind and unjustified criticism of Islam appears to lack any of the above qualities and this by it self, disqualifies her as a good and honest writer. Once again please accept our thanks and our appreciation for such an excellent review. From: Aisha Badran Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 11:45 PM Subject: Irshad Manji trip to Israel I speculated that this hardliner's book was motivated by profit. I don't believe Irshad is a Muslim at all. Only an imposter promoting hate while filling her pockets with the money of hatemongers who consume her nefarious toxic waste. I'm glad Linda reveals the business aspect of Irshad's visit to Israel. Although it is not surprising, at least it is a factful eyeopener and confirmation of what I believed beforehand. Irshad is just a small scale politician with zionists and racists sponsoring her lonely slanderous party. Thank you Linda for being passionate and honest. God bless you. February 01, 2005 10:41 PM Subject: irshad
Thank you for your
constructive and detailed criticism of Irshad Manji's new attempt to
place herself in the spotlight at the expense of logic, justice, and by
stepping over the faces of other people. I have known her and her
tactics for many years. This new book appears to be merely more of the
same opportunist grandstanding.
Sincerely,
Jessica Lott
Victoria, BC
January 31, 2005 Re: Irshad Manji's Trip to Israel Excellent piece. Well done!!! With the vast amount of accurate and well documented information so easily available, there is simply no excuse for Irshad Manji, an educated, seemingly intelligent woman, to be so woefully misinformed regarding the Palestinian/Israel conflict. For whatever reason, she has decided to peddle Israel/zionist fiction. Apropos Manji's assertion as quoted by you: "Speaking of cynical politics, Arafat's chief of security in the West Bank pre-approved Sharon's visit. A Palestinian Authority cabinet minister later revealed that Arafat had been planning the intifada for months. He needed a provocation." This entire statement is pure nonsense. Firstly, Arafat's security chief did not approve Sharon's Sept. 28, 2000 visit to the Noble Sanctuary or Temple Mount (accompanied by 1000 armed guards) which inevitably lead to the outbreak of the Al Aqsa intifada the next day. In fact, during a dinner meeting a couple of days earlier, Arafat and his associates, knowing what the outcome would be, pleaded with their host Prime Minister Ehud Barak not to permit Sharon to visit the site. As Deborah Sontag wrote in the New York Times (July 26/01): "[Arafat et al.] drove away from that dinner with something else on their minds: Mr. Sharon's coming visit to what Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary and Jews know as the Temple Mount. Mr. Arafat said in an interview that he huddled on the balcony with Mr. Barak and implored him to block Mr. Sharon's plans. But Mr. Barak's government perceived the planned visit by Mr. Sharon, then the opposition leader, as solely an internal Israeli political matter...." Furthermore, Ms. Manji's statement that according to a Palestinian cabinet minister, Arafat "had been planning the [Al Aqsa or second]intifada for months" has no basis in fact. If she were a true scholar and had done some basic research Manji would have discovered that U.S. Senator George Mitchell's highly acclaimed Mitchell Report or Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee presented to President Bush in May, 2001 absolved Arafat of responsibility for starting or planning the intifada. In short, Irshad Manji's credibility is nil. Best, Gary D. Keenan January 6, 2005 I find it odd that respondents are positive about such a mean-spirited review of "The Trouble With Islam" as the one given by Linda Belanger. Irshad Manji is interested to have Muslims READ and DISCUSS the Qur'an. She never pretends to be other than a lay person in this regard but, courageously I think, she plunges in. On the basis of her own reading she espouses certain principles that she thinks need to be encouraged within Islam: rights of women, rights of homosexual persons, opposition to the Wahabi influence. She is not ignorant of the shortcomings of the West, of Israel, of Christianity or of Judaism, nor is she disrespectful of their accomplishments. She speaks in terms of "mainstream" perspectives and she is, yes, optimistic about the mainstream of these while not being so sure of where the mainstream is in Islam (she attributes this to the influence of Wahabism). It is this that leads her to call on Muslims to assert where they see themselves in the debates about fundamentalism and human rights (she finds Muslims mostly silent about the actions of other Muslims). She appeals to a tradition within Islam that she calls "Ijtihad", a tradition of engaged reasoning. She wants to promote ijtihad amongst Muslims. Unlike many of the respondents to Linda's article, I have read the book. I also read the Qur'an. I like the fact that Manji works from the Qur'an, just as I work from the Bible in my religious discourse. (Linda's view of the Bible, incidentally, is quite selective and dismissive in my opinion.) I recognize that, psychologically, Manji has been damaged by her father and is possibly reacting strongly against that experience (her sanity would require it, I think); this certainly influences her thought but cannot justify dismissing her ideas. Also, she believes she is treated as a second-class Muslim by Arabic Muslims; do others feel that way? I would have appreciated more engagement by Linda with Manji's ideas, rather than (1) dismissal, (2) "yes, but everyone else is just as bad including us" and (3) Manji is OBVIOUSLY just a mouthpiece for pro-Zionist interests. I don't regard this as a worthy critique at all. I have my reservations about the book, too, but I have my admiration for it and for it's writer as well. My four reasons (plus one): 1. It works from the Qur'an, i.e. a respected authoritative base for Islam that we can all engage. 2. It unreservedly defends women and women's equality. 3. It defends homosexuals and "sexual orientation" as a necessary protected ground under any modern human rights code. 4. It encourages people to read for themselves, to discuss freely and courageously, to not be bullied into silence. And my further agreement at this stage of my studies, recognizing that I am only struggling to learn about Islam and may not understand the ramifications of this point fully: 5. It opposes Wahabism within Islam. Clint Mooney, Calgary. January 5, 2005 I had thought Irshad Manji and her book were so annoying and disagreeable to me because I am a Muslim. It is heartening to see that thinking people everywhere can see through her and share my view about her lack of scholarship and sincerity. This is a well-reasoned article. My opinion of Irshad is an Ignoramus and a Puppet. Like a pesky mosquito, she's come and gone (....I hope). Faryal I have not read Irshad Manji's book, but I have seen her being interviewed on Vision TV by Valerie Pringle. The first thing I noticed was that Irshad had an incredible amount of hostility for her father, and blamed Islam for everything negative that had happened to her. The second thing that I noticed was that the chip on her shoulder was so heavy, she could barely stand up straight. To blame a faith for everything that has gone wrong in a person's life is uni-dimensional thinking and offers nothing to humanity. If Irshad believes she is the crusader of the anti-Islamic movement and that Islam must change with the times, so be it. In my opinion, Irshad is going to have to come up with much better formulated arguments to change my idea about Islam. Her lack of knowledge on any topic is so glaringly evident, I have difficulty believing anything she says. Perhaps Irshad should try working out her difficulties and horrible childhood the way most sane people do: with therapy and professional support. M. McCormick Calgary January 3, 2005 Let me be blunt; I detest Irshad Manji. She has used to tragedy of 9/11 and the fact she was born into a Muslim family - although she will not admit it, I suspect the Ismaili sect - as a means of enhancing what had been a relatively insignificant career as a writer, commentator etc. Adopted by the Asper/CanWest gang, she has become their "good Muslim," i.e., not afraid to criticize her religion and praise Israel. In fact, I think Manji has never been a Muslim and much of what she is was shaped by her abusive father. What really p...ses me off, however, is when serving the Aspers, she expresses her uniformed views on the Palestinian-Arab/Zionist-Israel conflict. While I have not read her book and feel no need to do so, I have heard her interviewed on TV and radio and read some of her articles. The good news is she is a "flash in the pan" who will inevitably rue the day when for personal agrandizement, she allowed herself to be used by racists. Best, Gary Keenan Well written reply on a thorny topic. You may be interested in a series that we are sponsoring at the Quaker meeting house. ( Beginning January 26/05 - See Events Page for Details ) Best to you, Eric Schiller I love your article and it is really well written. I have one comment to add where you talk about abolishing slavery in the US, in fact, slavery was abolished in Islam since its inception. Mohamad preached that all blacks and whites were equal in Islam and are equal in the eyes of God. His early followers used to buy slaves just so they can free them. You should do more writing, I really think you're great at it. Samah Sabawi January 2, 2005 I started reading that book and was so upset with her narrow minded argument that I didn’t bother finishing it. Good job on the review! Clara M. Your review is thoughtful and well-written; I will pass it on. I haven't read the book, but I did see Danielle Smith's interview with Irshad on (where else) Global TV months ago. I was struck by the feeling of hostility to Islam and Muslims that she projected. Clearly, she has a lot of issues to work through and, as you say, she is ignorant about North American history. Regards, Vicki P. Canpalnet-Calgary Good work Linda! That was a great article you wrote. I was always curious about reading Manji’s book, but no longer want to waste my time. George S. Ottawa I'm so glad you decided to write about Irshad Manji's book. You certainly have provided info that may have been lost to a lot of people. I thought your mother's story was fascinating. As I've said many a time, Irshad behaves as if the world began the day she was born, and it just ain't so. Can't wait for the next installment. Corinne Allan http://www.yayacanada.com Your Comments
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