A very bold book. Manji is funny, but I doubt if her sense of humor would be tolerated by most Muslims who read her book. Tough love. That’s what she calls it. Muslims (or Islam today) needs someone to shake them/it into waking up to the reality of today. She argues that Islam is in big trouble – basically stemming from her own inability to fully accept what she has been taught in school regarding a faith that deprives her from the right to ask questions. And it is our job as Muslims to rescue Islam.
“By writing this open letter,” Manji begins her book, “I’m not implying that other religions are problem-free. Hardly. The difference is, libraries abound in books about the trouble with Christianity. There’s no shortage of books about the trouble with Judaism. We Muslims have a lot of catching up to do in the dissent department. Whose permission are we waiting for?” (4)
She then talks about attending Saturday classes for Muslims in Toronto where “wherever classes congregated within the side expanse of that room, a partition would tag along. Worse was the partition between mind and soul. In my Saturday classes I learned that if you’re spiritual, you don’t think. If you think, you’re not spiritual.” (11)
Her biggest problem, it seems, is that Islam, or modern practices of Islam, not only lack any tolerance for other religions, but lack tolerance for any interpretations of the Quran that go against the general agreement reached years ago, and against the laws decreed by a few clergy who all belong to only a small portion of the Muslim world today.
In her books she calls for a reform of Islam, but she is not shy to argue that such reform can take on any issue, including issues of whether or not the Quran, as we have it today, is perfect (citing examples of its deliverance to the Prophet and the final accumulation of it under hasty circumstances).
To the Arab reader, her attack on modern Islam might not be the worst. She almost directly praises the Israeli government and people for their ability to create a country, though based on religion, but one that is more open for freedom of thought and interpretation, an open-mindedness that she sees to be the cause of the major problem with Islam today.
But as she says in the first few pages: “Is that a heart attack you’re having? Make it fast.” (2)
I read the book last year and I loved it. I agreed with A LOT of her points. Religion teachers should give their students the freedom to ask as much questions as they want. When I was a kid I always felt like I was sinning when I had a lot of questions (which I, of course, kept to myself) about Islam. To this day, I still don’t have the answers to them! It would’ve been great if I knew I could ask questions freely without being judged.
What will be left of religion if everyone came and changed it to support their needs?
Rule #1. Religion is perfect = Religion is not to be questioned, when in doubt read rule #1.
It’s hard to argue with loopy logic
What’s sad and ironic is that her book deepens the rift between Islam and the West by making it appear as if the practices/mentalities of Muslims today is flawed and that if a Muslim doubts their own religion then Islam is at fault.
Asthagfriullah.
She tries to make it seem like she’s doing something for the greater good when in fact she’s merely amplifying her doubts and lack of belief in Islam in hopes of finding solace with others of a similar mindset (and to probably get rich in the process).
One of the beauties of Islam is its unity ie its followers and practices whereas with other religions, you see large amounts of sects, differing opinions, etc.
For the commentators here who claim that Islam or religion teachers they’ve had whom never encouraged questions to be asked, there is a very sound answer to this.
You do not have or did not have the mental aptitude to do so. And as a result of asking questions while lacking the years of studying Islamic texts, the Holy Quran, the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (S) and the well sourced texts of the Sa7aba (PBUT), you would get an answer that would cause you to waver in faith.
And let’s face it, Muslims that want to ask heated questions about Islam have already taken a step backwards away from Islam and are not of the type you see in Mosques or reciting the Holy Quran during their free time but rather the type that listens to Maria Carey, read People magazine, “Ugh I’m starving, I’ll fast tommoro instead”, Blackberry, Porshe Cayenne, Goatee-trimming, dewaniya, marlboro, London/Paris/Lebanon every vacation crowd.
This author suffers the symptoms of Muslims who live abroad in western nations, being their spiritual unravelling, expected of those who live in hedonistic, borderline atheist societies (ie the West). And she never had a firm belief either, what with all her doubts and whatnot.
Every single practice, law, prohibition, etc. in Islam has ample and solid reasoning behind it, and it simply takes a learned believer to see the answers. If someone cannot see this then they are wandering on a path of self-destruction.
hahah I just found out she’s a lesbian.
case CLOSED.
To take a lesbian’s rants about Islam seriously is absurd and LOL worthy.
She’s obviously pissed off that her sexual orientation is forbidden in Islam and wants to change it so she can be guilt-free and not damned to hell.
“and re-discover it precisely to update Islam for the 21st century.”
Update Islam ? Make it cater to the Grey’s Anatomy era?
Wow can anyone take her seriously?
YOU DON’T UPDATE RELIGEON TO CATER TO YOU, YOU CATER TO IT OTHERWISE IT IS POINTLESS AND MEANINGLESS.
This is beyond absurd!
“”hahah I just found out she’s a lesbian.
case CLOSED.”
_I read some pages and for the first time, i thought that way she used is….So, agreed with DSA