Lecture: The Trouble with Islam Today

Last night I had the good fortune to listen to a presentation at little liberal Doane College by the Canadian writer Irshad Manji [2], author of The Trouble with Islam Today.  I'd heard her before on C-SPAN on on PBS and since a friend was already planning to go I was able to tag along in the car pool.

When I was pursuing my engineering degree my best friends during that time were Muslims (Sunni and Shiite).  They taught me a great deal about their faith and I believe it has served me well especially in discussions with my non-Muslim friends during these troubled times.

For example, my Lebanese Shiite buddy told me that he was guided by what his grandfather told him as a youth.  That was read the Koran and figure things out for yourself.  Don't be swayed by the clergy on what you think is right or wrong.  What Ms. Manji said about the traditional decentralized Shiite ways seemed spot on in that regard.  The takeover of Iran by clerics is an historic outlier in that light.

It seems to me that this way of living one's faith is not very different from that of Protestants who believe that they need to find their own interpretations and relationships with God.  In a parallel world way, you still occasionally get the Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell-types that want to hijack less independently thinking folks for their own political economic agendas.

Her discussion about the inside game of clergy on ginning up outrage over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad (and the lack of response by local Danish Muslims) also provided extra insight on the deadly and cynical game being played by some in positions of authority. According to Ms. Manji, a couple of the most provocative cartoons didn't even have anything to do with the Danish publication but were just tacked on to cynically add fuel to the fire.

A couple of YouTube entries for those into the videos.

YouTube - Irshad Manji
YouTube - Irshad Manji Debates Bill O'Reilly
YouTube - Irshad Manji on Glenn Beck, Pt. I
YouTube - Irshad Manji on Glenn Beck, Pt. II

Lecture: The Trouble with Islam Today

Last night I had the good fortune to listen to a presentation at little liberal Doane College by the Canadian writer Irshad Manji [2], author of The Trouble with Islam Today.  I'd heard her before on C-SPAN on on PBS and since a friend was already planning to go I was able to tag along in the car pool.

When I was pursuing my engineering degree my best friends during that time were Muslims (Sunni and Shiite).  They taught me a great deal about their faith and I believe it has served me well especially in discussions with my non-Muslim friends during these troubled times.

For example, my Lebanese Shiite buddy told me that he was guided by what his grandfather told him as a youth.  That was read the Koran and figure things out for yourself.  Don't be swayed by the clergy on what you think is right or wrong.  What Ms. Manji said about the traditional decentralized Shiite ways seemed spot on in that regard.  The takeover of Iran by clerics is an historic outlier in that light.

It seems to me that this way of living one's faith is not very different from that of Protestants who believe that they need to find their own interpretations and relationships with God.  In a parallel world way, you still occasionally get the Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell-types that want to hijack less independently thinking folks for their own political economic agendas.

Her discussion about the inside game of clergy on ginning up outrage over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad (and the lack of response by local Danish Muslims) also provided extra insight on the deadly and cynical game being played by some in positions of authority. According to Ms. Manji, a couple of the most provocative cartoons didn't even have anything to do with the Danish publication but were just tacked on to cynically add fuel to the fire.

A couple of YouTube entries for those into the videos.

YouTube - Irshad Manji
YouTube - Irshad Manji Debates Bill O'Reilly
YouTube - Irshad Manji on Glenn Beck, Pt. I
YouTube - Irshad Manji on Glenn Beck, Pt. II