Irshad Manji has been praised for her "audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction," and the author - who happens to be a Muslim lesbian feminist - exuded all of those characteristics during a speech Tuesday night.
Manji, who is the author of a new book, "The Trouble with Islam," spoke about her writing and ideas on the universality of human rights. Her speech emphasized many of the points in her latest book, but she also framed those arguments and points with a brief explanation of her past.
Though Manji's ideas on the reform of Islam are the result of her research, it is possible that other people have different interpretations of her subject, she said. But on Tuesday, Manji was focused on her past and the ideas in her book.
Manji was born in Uganda, but her family was exiled in 1972. After fleeing to Canada, her family settled in Vancouver, B.C., as refugees.
She attended both traditional public school and Muslim school on Saturdays. It was during those Saturday classes that Manji began constantly asking questions about the Muslim teachings. But when she was kicked out of the Muslim school for her behavior, she decided to give her religion another chance, out of fairness to her faith.
On Tuesday, Manji stressed that everyone must defend and uphold universal human rights. Also, she said, there is nothing wrong with asking questions; within any open society, there is room to be faithful and thoughtful at the same time.
But what Manji focused on most during her speech was the importance of thinking intellectually about Islam's teachings. Modern Muslims have lost the Islamic tradition of independent thinking, or "ijtihad" in Arabic, she said.
Manji said she wants to challenge Muslims who defend Islam reflexively to consider whether they are defending Islam in theory or the Islam that is a reality. She sees too many Muslims being passive and "sweeping the reality of (Muslims') complacency under the rug," she said.
In challenging Muslims to think more critically about Islam, Manji is asking them to reexamine the "supremacy complex," or the belief that the Koran is "God 3.0" and "the perfect, best and latest edition" of holy books, she said.
Manji's speech did not focus exclusively on Muslims - she said she wants non-Muslims to help by encouraging intelligent dialogue between Muslims and forcing them to face what she views as the troubles within Islam.
Protestors had a major presence at Manji's speech; her book has raised dialogue on the sensitive issues surrounding reform of Islam. The Anti-Racist Action and Democratic Solidarity Committee had several people present to ask questions during the speech. One audience member was disruptive during Manji's speech, but the audience responded positively to the speaker's reaction to that individual.
Manji's speech was co-sponsored by Brown Hillel, which the author said gives fresh "fodder" to her critics. But other organizations also sponsored her visit, including the Sarah Doyle Women's Center, the Third World Center, the Queer Alliance, the Swearer Center for Public Service and others. More than 10 student groups sponsored her speaking engagement, as well as academic departments, deans and even an off-campus business.
Manji said she was encouraged to come and speak by the "pluralistic coalition" (of groups) but also by Brown's tradition of civil dialogue and discussion. "(All the sponsors) are a testimony to the openness that Brown is so widely reputed for, that something like this can happen, that you folks have the guts to have me here on campus," she said.
Manji has drawn fire for being critical of Islam and for her sexual orientation, but she has spoken at schools in Europe and Australia as well as in the United States. Her latest book has only served to increase demand for her as a speaker, and she will speak at Yale University and Wellesley College in the coming week.
But Manji is looking further ahead than next week; her future work all focuses on increasing critical thought and study of Islam, an idea she calls "Project Ijtihad."
"Project Ijtihad will be a not-for-profit foundation that will support all kinds of projects that will revive Islam's lost tradition of independent thinking," she said.
Manji said she feels an obligation to help young Muslims who have implored her to help them. It is what has inspired much of her current movement toward Project Ijtihad. Young Muslims have contacted her to tell her that they need her voice to help open up Islam, or else they will give up on it, Manji said.
In the next five years, she said she also hopes to start an institute for independent thinking in Islam. That institute will be "a leadership center that will attract young Muslims first from North America and then eventually from around the world to come and get steeped in the art and the confidence of debate and dissent," she said.
No matter what critics say, Manji said she views her work as vital to bringing fresh independent and critical thinking to her religion.
"Because I live in a part of the world in which I have the opportunities, the privileges and the freedoms to support the revival of independent thinking, it is my responsibility to do that whenever I can," Manji said. "So at the end of the day, everything that I am doing from here on in is about reviving, resuscitating this glorious tradition of critical thinking that Islam once had."
