freeSpeech: Irshad Manji

(CBS)  As a faithful Muslim, I do not believe the pope should have apologized. I've read what's been described as his inflammatory speech. Actually, he called for dialogue with the Muslim world. To ignore that larger context and to focus on a mere few words of the speech is like reducing the Koran, Islam's holy book, to its most bloodthirsty passages. We Muslims hate it when people do that. The hypocrisy of doing this to the pope stinks to high heaven.

Yet some Muslims have gone further. In the West Bank, churches have been firebombed. During a big protest in London, placards proclaimed "Islam will take Rome." In Somalia, a Catholic nun was murdered shortly after a Muslim cleric urged violence against the Vatican.

Coincidence? I think not.

And thinking is what the Quran encourages. It asks Muslims to reflect far more than to retaliate. Even if someone mocks your religion, the Koran says, walk away. Later, engage in dialogue. Wasn't that the pope's point?

We Muslims should remember that God told the Prophet Muhammad to "read." My advice to fellow Muslims: Read the pope's speech — in its entirety — and you'll see that his message of reason, reconciliation, and conversation would make him a better Muslim than most of us.

Now if only I could make him a feminist ...


Irshad Manji is a Muslim, a feminist, and a best-selling author who writes about the need for reform in Islam. She is the author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith. It has been published internationally, including in Pakistan, Turkey, India and Lebanon.

Currently, Irshad is based at Yale University as a Visiting Fellow with the International Security Studies program. She writes columns that are distributed worldwide by the New York Times Syndicate. You can read more about Irshad and her work on her Web site, Muslim Refusenik.

[katallasso]

As a communications teacher I was pleased to hear someone finally make the statement that the entire speech made by the Pope (or any speech by any one)should be listened or read in full rather than taken quotes out of context. How many conflicts have come from this lack of information and communication.
By the way, who took a poll to determine the mainstream Muslim opinion? I have faith that the majority of Muslims, especially in the US, would be in agreement with Ms. Manji. Unfortunately, there will always be those who follow power hungry "Hitler"-like individuals who spread hate and lies for their benefit only. Thank you Ms. Manji for standing up and coming forward to make intelligent and well informed opinions. Although I have never read the Koran, I am confident Ms. Manji has and I believe it is baised on peace, love, and compassion not hate and murder. Hang in there Irshad! You and the statements made by Ahmed Younis on Sept.12 th on Free Speech spread the truth about American Muslims and now hopefully more will follow your lead!

[reahowarth]

Thank you, Ms. Manji, for urging Muslims to read Pope Benedict's academic speech in its entirety. Certainly Pope Benedict made two egregious errors: 1) One was the inclusion of the quotation without clarifying that he did not accept that statement as true;
2) Defining "jihad" as "holy war."

I do think that Pope Benedict has apologized; now as a Catholic, I would urge him to make Christian-Muslim dialogue a priority for himself, the Vatican apparatus, and for Catholics in the pews.

Dialogue by its very nature requires people to listen and to learn from one another. Anything else is called preaching or lecturing. It is imperative that we all take responsibility for improving relations between Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Bhuddists.

We all need to get past the point of view that people who have religious beliefs and traditions different from our own do not share our common human longing for peace, harmony, generosity of spirit, safe places for our children to grow up, and all the accoutrements of society that allow families to flourish.

If our religious leaders would embrace that goal and stop preaching messages of hatred and revenge-seeking, or worse, fear-mongering, we all would be in a much better place psychologically and socially.

Now, if only I could convince Pope Benedict to become a feminist...

Rea Howarth

[kailumego1]

First, notwithstanding, that she may be out of touch with mainstream Islam, and that she has been brainwashed by %u201CWESTERN CONSERVATIVE HYPOCRISY%u201D.
Although her intentions were surreptitious and suspicious to many Muslims, in all her obscure ramblings, she did manage to create a forum for some intellectual debate or dialogue. By which many, whom vehemently disagree, will have the opportunity to enlighten those ignorant of Islam.
But, instead of feeding into the propaganda and rhetoric postulated by those either too ignorant or stupid to research on their own, Muslim leaders should have challenged the Pope and Danish for their insidious remarks.

[kailumego1]

However, what these extremist did was tandem to 9/11, why KILL OR SAVAGELY MURDER innocent people, whom some may have possibly agreed with your plight.
I understand why so many other non-European countries distrust America/Europe; after all, history speaks volumes of their imperialistic hegemony.
And I know how sensitive Muslims are about their religious beliefs, but resorting to vicious acts of violence every time some IDIOT misinterprets or insults your faith is pushing people away, not gaining sympathy.
This senseless violence has to stop, IDIOTS are always going to open their mouths and put their foot into it, so why subordinate yourselves, or stoop to their level of idiocy.
By responding in such a violent matter you are further distancing yourselves, and offering no solution.

[el_cordobes]

Christianity and Judaism have been bashed for as long as I can remember, and by everyone who does not like them, religious or not. Yet, to this date, I have never seen neither Christians or Jews anywhere in the world, take to the streets to protest with hysteria, anger and savagery like many muslims have done. The God of Abraham and Jesus Christ Himself have been the object of every blasphemy imaginable in every language possible in the globe. Yet I do not see neither the Christians or the Jews burning effigies of anyone. It seems clear now as to who the hypochrites really are.

[sasboy-2009]

The Pope's comment's were inflammatory and grossly tactless, especially coming at these troubled times. However, now that he has apologised, I think in the name of maturity Muslims everywhere should move ahead and forgive him - we have far more important issues to deal with - global warming, the world economy, shrinking rain forest, Third World debt etc etc.
As regards Irshad Manji, well, she is intelligent and outspoken but I question the logic of interviewing someone who does not represent the point of view of mainstream Islam by any stretch of the imagination.Moreover, with her record of making Muslims look bad no matter what happens, the fact remains that it is a fair bet that if some Muslim leader had referred to Christianity or Judaism as an ``evil and violent '' religion, the likes of Irshad Manji et al would have no qualms about using such inflammatory rhetoric to drive home her point about ``The trouble with Islam ( read Muslims )''
Just for the record - the same goes for the Danish cartoons.Had the controversy been ignited by some Muslim newspaper publishing blasphemous pictures of Jesus, people like Irshad Manji - and the right wing legion of Muslim bashers would have no problem depicting it as an example of Muslim intolerance instead of defending such provocations in the name of free speech.
Sometimes I can only wonder since when freedom of expression has been monopolized by people wanted to blaspheme and since when has protesting blasphemy been such a taboo ?

[lenoxeternl]

Dear Ms. Irshad Manji:

I found this piece very enlightening and refreshing and want to thank you for sharing the positive aspects about the Koran.

As a Catholic, I am pleased that the Pope was "Deeply Sorry". It is right and just for him to humble himself; however, as leader of the Church, we do expect him to lead and educate his flock. In short, when we (any person) hurt the feelings of others, it is good to apologize.

Sadly, it looks as if history is repeating itself. I look back to the recent WWII and the man Hitler. Certainly, Hitler twisted Christianity to his advantage. I see many similarities with religious manipulation here. A sort of mob mentality fueled by small portions of selected religion is dangerious to all. You mentioned "Dialoge" to cure the situation. That sounds so good and true. As a human, I can only hope for peace to win over reason; and your words on the evening news are a beam of light.

Thank you & Peace be with you.

[saif05]

I find it inaccurate for the CBS Evening News to choose someone like Irshad Manji to comment on the furor over Pope Benedict's recent statements. Irshad Manji has a viewpoing that is so far out from the Muslim Mainstream, that it is seems illogical to have someone like her speak as an alternative voice for Islam. Irshad Manji is an idealogue who would have the West believe that there are only two voices for the Muslims of the World, that of Osama bin Laden or that of her shrieks. The reality is that the largest mass of Muslims worldwide have a perspective that is unlike either side. Muslims around the world are all too often blamed for their outrage when people slander their faith, this however sends a message that healthy dissent is not okay, especially when it pertains to defending the Islamic faith. It is an insult for Manji to say the Pope should not have apologized, especially considering that his Papacy even went further to issue his personal regrets for his comments. In choosing a Free Speech voice, the producers of Evening News would have been well served to have a true representative of the Middle Ground voice of Muslims the world over speak, and there are no shortage of such representatives.

[Uncle JimBob]

It is a sad state that the world finds itself in, when people who feel insulted by others resort to temper tantrums of church burning, hate mongering and inciting civil unrest to exhibit their displeasure.

Can they possibly believe that such actions generate anything other than disgust from non-extremists?

We can only hope that more rational, clearer thinking will prevail on all sides, and that we can constructively set about dealing with the planet's real problems, not wasting precious time and resources, coping with the products of rampant paranoia and bullying, constantly rebuilding what the anarchists among us continue to destroy.

Ms. Manji has the clarity and conviction many world leaders lack, for fear of being unpopular. Bravo for her challenge (to us all). Dialogue!

It is time, however, that some Muslims quit hijacking the faith, stop acting like a bunch of spoiled children on a playground, step up to adult table and voice opinions, feelings, needs and hopes, instead of pouting, screaming and creating media events, just because they don't like something someone said.

Amid all of this, where are the respected Muslim leaders of our communities when their voices are so direly in need of being heard? Their silence is complicity. Step up; step out and be heard! Become part of the new day in which people of all beliefs will again be able to inhabit the planet without fear of annihilation. The downward spiral is dangerously close.

[a013024]

I agree with Manji. All religions are faith based. Islam needs to stand in line and not kill while humans move to the final answer.