Author voices opinion

By Jeff Frankel and Steph Mostaccio

At the young age of 14, Irshad Manji was expelled from her Islamic madressa for
asking questions. Now she urges everyone to do just that.

Manji, a journalist and best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith, spoke on Tuesday, Oct. 10, in a filled-to-capacity Bart Luedeke Center Theater to launch this year’s Unity Day event.

Her book brought much controversy to the Muslim community. While she says she supports Islam and wants people to take a closer look at the religion, Muslims see her as a radical.

In her program, “The power of asking questions out loud,” she discussed main ideas from her book. Because of recent controversy and security concerns, members of Public Safety as well as Lawrence Township police were on hand in case of any violent actions taken against Manji.

After her questions about the “Jewish plot against Islam” got her kicked out of her madressa, a Muslim religious school, she speaks to audiences about the importance of asking questions.

“All the most effective tools in my own journey to justice have boiled down to a few words:

‘Ask questions out loud,’” she said. “My story is just not about the power of one, it’s actually about the power of asking one question.”

In her presentation, she said bravery is the most important thing one needs in order to escape from terror.

She said more and more Muslims ask her everyday where she got the courage to speak out against the fastest-growing religion in the world.

“Courage is not about being free of fear,” she said. “Courage is a recognition that some things are more important than fear, and one of the things that is more important than fear, to me, is justice.”

She said it’s hard to go against many Muslim teachings that promote women as subordinates to men.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that 1.2 billion people are mad at me,” she said.

She wasn’t going to sit there and take a silent approach to changing people’s attitudes toward Muslim women.

“That’s when I realized I don’t have to take a back-seat to anybody in the name of my religion simply because I am a girl.”

She said many women in the past have been successful Muslims. The Muslim Prophet Mohammed’s first wife was a wealthy, self-made merchant who the prophet’s boss.

“I would have never been exposed or introduced to these amazing and positive historical figures of my own religion had I been stuck in a religious school,” she said.

She said it was ironic that Muslim women in some countries have little to no rights in their country.

“Women in Saudi Arabia have the legal status of a car yet they are still not allowed to drive one,” she said.

In the past, she has received many death-threats. Manji said it was important for her to get rid of her bodyguard, even if it meant harm for her, because she needed to get her message out.

“If I’m going to develop credibility and reach out to young Muslims, I can’t have a big burly dude looking out for me everywhere I go,” she said.

Many students who attended the event were very impressed with Manji and her values.

“The conviction and passion which Ms. Manji spoke with was an inspiration for me, a person afraid to have her voice heard,” said junior Katelyn Friel.