KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Irshad Manji is a familiar name only to Malaysian intellectuals, curious readers of theology and debate, and religious authorities. Young adult Malaysians who studied in the US and Canada may be somewhat familiar with her name too. Still, Manji and her work are very new entities to the public.
And yet, in recent weeks, Manji’s arrival in the region was marked by tension. At Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, her meeting with students was cut short when a group of men stormed into the meeting room and disrupted the session. In Kuala Lumpur, her publisher, ZI Publications faced similar challenges, though a hastily arranged meeting at the Chinese Assembly Hall was conducted successfully.
If the reader is to believe what the general public and the Internet say about Manji, it’s all horrible. Manji’s frankness and drive to engage and debate with the Muslim public has not endeared her with people. She is everything that is wrong and abhorred by Islam, her naysayers say.
The Malaysian Insider (TMI) speaks to Irshad Manji (IM), to find out about the work she and her team do.
TMI: Your arrival in the region has created quite a storm. However, we have to admit that you’re not exactly a familiar name in Malaysia.
IM: I know exactly what you’re going to say! That’s OK! Who? Irshad Manji? Never heard of her!
TMI: Let’s talk about the broad themes of your work. And also, how do you feel about being a Muslim ambassador, like Reza Aslan, Mona Eltahawy?
IM: First of all, these people happen to be personal friends, and neither do we represent all that of Islam. What we are showing to Muslims and non-Muslims (though the work we do) is that there are legitimate different ways of thinking, of the Quran, Allah, the teachings (Sunnah) and the culture, especially the tribal culture, and will, say, has colonised the faith of Islam.
I see this everywhere I go and Southeast Asia is home to more Muslims than those in the Middle East or Africa. And yet, increasingly, we are told in this part of the world that there is only one way of representing yourself as a Muslim woman, one legitimate language to communicate with God, which is Arabic. Now we need to take a look, if you are anti-imperialism, you need to also look at how a small section of the Muslim world has become an imperialist for all of the Muslim world.
TMI: What is your perception of Indonesia?
IM: I’ve been in Indonesia for almost two weeks and my perception of the country is that it has changed in four years. I say four years because I was in Indonesia in 2008. For example, Gadjamadah University welcomed me and my book, which has a far more contentious title than my latest! I came away from that time, thinking, wow, you can have extremists and ultra liberals come around, the university cancels my talk on the morning of the event. To me it is clear that the progressive forces in Indonesia are increasingly intimidated.
My point to everyone who knows my work is that moral courage is needed. I quote Robert F. Kennedy who spoke about the willingness to speak your truth to the powerful people in your community, always for a greater good, that’s not just about your community. Have higher expectations. Sometimes the ending is not what you expect. Mark my words, the respect for you will grow because you have been honest with them.
Manji has received many emails from other Muslims who have applied this particular moral courage in their lives. In fact, they are astounded when they see that their parents become their biggest supporter.
TMI: What are the three to five points a Muslim should apply in his life?
IM: I’ll give you seven! These seven are in my book “Allah, Liberty & Love”. The first one is understand that some things are bigger than fear. In other words, courage is not the absence of fear. We’re humans, we will always have some fear. One thing that is bigger than fear is faith.
Number two: identity can trap you but integrity can set you free. Many of us are confusing identity with integrity. Whatever that label is, it’s so easy to get stuck in that label. When you do that, you are limiting your potential to grow.
Three — culture is not sacred. It is human made and not God given, therefore it is not sacrilegious in seeking to reform the most harmful aspects of culture, i.e. family honour. It sounds nice but the number of crimes in the name of such an honour is abominable.
Four — you define your honour. Don’t worry too much about other people’s approval. In the eyes of God, you are a deliberate creation of God. There’s only one God and that job is not vacant.
Five is a toughie, a hardsell. Offence. Being offended and giving offence is the price of diversity. It’s very easy and lazy to reduce diversity to your religion and skin colour. Offence is the price of honest diversity.
Six — this is extremely important for a country like Malaysia. In times of moral crisis, moderation is an excuse to do nothing. In the current global discourse in Islam, we make a distinction between the extremists and moderates. Moderates just stay on the sidelines and do nothing. Never be an act of moderation. Moderates empower the reactionaries.
Seven —– my personal favourite is lack of meaning is the real death threat. Sure I’ve received death threats. Comes with the territory. But if I wasn’t pursuing this mission, this would kill me. I have met many young Muslims who tell me that they are willing to walk away from the bigotry and dogma within Islam because it is no longer about a faith but an ideology of fear.
“Allah, Liberty & Love” is being translated into Bahasa Malaysia by ZI Publications. The book is a guide to reconciling faith and freedom in a world raging with repressive dogmas. Manji’s previous book is the international bestseller “The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith”.
* For more information on the book, please contact Ezra Zaid, ZI Publications at
By Dina Zaman
The Malaysian Insider
22 May 2012
Courage is not the absence of fear, says Manji. — Pictures by Dina Zaman