Irshad Manji est chercheuse à l’université de Yale. Elle est l’auteur de
Musulmane mais libre et l’animatrice du site Muslim refusnik.
« L’Occident doit cesser de se laisser endormir par l’idée du multiculturalisme. »
« Je ne ferai jamais le pèlerinage à La Mecque car on y interdit l’entrée aux juifs et aux chrétiens »
Née en Ouganda en 1968, au sein d’une famille musulmane, Irshad Manji est une écrivaine et journaliste canadienne. Elle a été désignée par le New York Times comme le « pire cauchemar d’Oussama
Ben Laden ». Elle critique violemment les islamistes et les interprétations littérales du Coran, s’attaque aux pratiques extrémistes de l’islam, et notamment au traitement généralement infligé
aux femmes par les musulmans. Elle critique abondamment la politique palestinienne et les opinions de la plupart des musulmans concernant Israël.
En mars 2006, elle a co-signé,avec 11 intellectuels libéraux tels que Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Taslima Nasreen, une lettre intitulée Manifeste des douze : “ensemble contre le
totalitarisme”, en réponse aux très violentes réactions envers les caricatures danoises de mahomet.
Elle remet en question un grand nombre des interprétations historiques du coran, et recommande le concept d’Itjtihad, tradition musulmane de pensée indépendante.
Son best-seller the Trouble with islam today (« Le problème avec l’islam aujourd’hui » étrangement devenu « Musulmane mais libre » dans son édition française) a été
traduit dans plus d’une douzaine de langues.
[ Source: http://imanji.wordpress.com/ ]
Pour les Anglophones:
The New York Times describes Irshad Manji as "Osama bin Laden’s worst nightmare."
Oprah's magazine has
given Irshad the first annual Chutzpah Award for "audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction." She takes both as a compliment.
Irshad is Director of the Moral Courage Project at
New York University. It aims to develop leaders who will challenge political
correctness, intellectual conformity and self-censorship. In the best spirit of liberal education, the Moral Courage Project teaches that rights come with responsibilities, that we are citizens
rather than members of mere tribes, and that meaningful diversity embraces different ideas and not just identities.
Through her commitment to Muslim reform, Irshad is putting these principles into practice. She is the internationally best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith. Her book has been published in almost 30
countries, including Pakistan, India and Lebanon. It will soon be released in Indonesia.
In those countries that have censored The Trouble with Islam Today, Irshad is reaching readers by posting free translations on this website. The Arabic
translation alone has been downloaded 300,000 times and circulated by youth throughout the Middle East.
Irshad is also creator of the acclaimed PBS documentary, "Faith Without Fear,"
which chronicles a young woman’s journey to reconcile Islam with human rights and freedom. "Faith Without Fear" is now being screened across Europe and shown in the Muslim underground via
digital technologies.
As a journalist, Irshad’s columns appear frequently in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Times of London, Al-Arabiya.net and other major news sources. She writes a regular feature for Canada’s Globe and Mail.
As a social entrepreneur, Irshad has founded Project Ijtihad, an initiative to renew Islam’s own tradition of
critical thinking, debate and dissent. Project Ijtihad is helping to build the world’s most inclusive network of reform-minded Muslims and non-Muslim allies.
Born in 1968, Irshad is a refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda. In 1972, she and her family fled to Vancouver, where Irshad grew up attending public schools as well as the Islamic madressa. In 1990,
she graduated with honors from the University of British Columbia, winning the Governor-General’s medal for top academic achievement in the humanities.
Thanks to The Trouble with Islam Today, her ideas are capturing international attention. That means condemnation as well praise. Here’s a sample of
the debate:
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Khaleel Mohammed, imam and professor of Islam at San Diego State University: "Irshad wants us to do what our Holy Book wants us to do: End the tribal posturing,
open our eyes, and stand up to oppression, even if it's rationalized by our vaunted imams."
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Khaled Almeena, Editor, Arab News (Saudi Arabia): "This fraudulent book has now become a guide to Islam."
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Thomas Friedman, New York Times foreign affairs columnist: "The democratic movements that have now emerged have shown just how many young Muslims want to give
voice to their aspirations and achieve their full potential. If you want to get a taste of what they sound like, read Irshad Manji…"
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Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values at Harvard University: "All is not lost if people of Irshad Manji’s capacity can
carry a fresh and convincing message to the coming generation. I cannot urge her more strongly to maintain her frank, open, and intelligent approach. This cause is, I believe, the most
important new movement in several decades."
[ Source:
http://www.irshadmanji.com/about-irshad ]