The Trouble with Islam
Encyclopedia
The Trouble with Islam Today, original title The Trouble with Islam is a 2004 book critical of Islam
written by Irshad Manji
, styled in an open-letter addressed to concerned citizens worldwide - Muslim or not.
".
In the book, Manji says that an Arab failure to accept the Jews' historical bond with Palestine is a mistake. Manji writes that the Jews' historical roots stretch back to the land of Israel, and that they have a right to a Jewish state. She further argues that the allegation of apartheid in Israel is deeply misleading, noting that there are in Israel several Arab political parties; that Arab-Muslim legislators have veto powers; and that Arab parties have overturned disqualifications. She also writes that Israel has a free Arab press; that road signs bear Arabic translations; and that Arabs live and study alongside Jews.
Translations:
Since its publication, the book has been met with both praise and criticism from Muslim and non-Muslim sources. Khaleel Mohammed
, an imam
and professor of Islam at San Diego State University
, wrote in his foreword to Manji's book that "Irshad wants us to do what our Holy Book wants us to do: end the tribal posturing, open our eyes, and stand up to oppression, even if it's rationalized by our vaunted imams."
Bina Shah on the other hand, believes that she provides "a million excuses for the excesses committed against the Palestinians." Her sentiments were echoed by M. Junaid Levesque-Alam, who claimed that the book ignored a wealth of scholarship by Jewish historians on Israeli ethnic cleansing, massacres, and torture committed against Palestinians. He also stated that the book is openly feted by ultra-conservative Americans who have advocated war on Iraq and Iran.
Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values at Harvard University
, suggests that Manji's book "[carries] a fresh and convincing message to the coming generation.”, while Andrew Sullivan
, in a book review for The New York Times
called Manji "courageous" and opined that the book's spirit is "long overdue".
As'ad Abu Khalil, political scientist at California State University, Stanislaus
, accuses Manji of disproportionately targeting Muslims, ignoring the peripheral context within which most Muslims live, and not applying the same critiques to other groups, notably those with allegedly more power in society such as conservative Christians. Abu Khalil also asserts Manji is not trained in Islamic scholarship, history, or the Arabic language, and as such ignores the multiplicity of debates and traditions within Islam. Khaled Almeena, editor of the Arab News in Saudi Arabia
, called the book "fraudulent" and stated that it is misrepresenting as a guide to Islam.
Quantara, a website promoting interfaith dialogue, mentions that "Irshad Manji breaks every taboo in the book while also challenging our prejudices about Islam. What's more, she does so as a Muslim, not as a Westernized woman preaching from the pulpit of a feminist ivory tower.". A contrasting view comes from Omar Afra, editor of Free Press Houston, who charges Manji with a failure to see the problems of the Islamic world in a socio-economic context. He also states that Manji "sees the mistreatment of women in the Islamic world as a monolith all the while ignoring rampant date rape and domestic abuse in Western culture."
Tarek Fatah
, a fellow Canadian Muslim, who originally criticized The Trouble With Islam reversed his stance by saying that Manji was "right about the systematic racism in the Muslim world" and that "there were many redeeming points in her memoir".
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
written by Irshad Manji
Irshad Manji
Irshad Manji is a Canadian author, journalist and an advocate of "reform and progressive" interpretation of Islam. Manji is director of the Moral Courage Project at the Robert F...
, styled in an open-letter addressed to concerned citizens worldwide - Muslim or not.
Contents
In the book the author aims to provide an examination of what she describes as "the inferior treatment of women in Islam"; "Jew-bashing that so many Muslims persistently engage in", "the continuing scourge of slavery in countries ruled by Islamic regimes", "literalist readings of the Koran" and "the lost traditions of critical thinking IjtihadIjtihad
Ijtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....
".
- "The Trouble with Islam is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of reform, to concerned citizens worldwide – Muslim and not. It's about why my faith community needs to come to terms with the diversity of ideas, beliefs and people in our universe, and why non-Muslims have a pivotal role in helping us get there." - "That doesn't mean I refuse to be a Muslim, it simply means I refuse to join an army of automatonAutomatonAn automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
s in the name of AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
."
In the book, Manji says that an Arab failure to accept the Jews' historical bond with Palestine is a mistake. Manji writes that the Jews' historical roots stretch back to the land of Israel, and that they have a right to a Jewish state. She further argues that the allegation of apartheid in Israel is deeply misleading, noting that there are in Israel several Arab political parties; that Arab-Muslim legislators have veto powers; and that Arab parties have overturned disqualifications. She also writes that Israel has a free Arab press; that road signs bear Arabic translations; and that Arabs live and study alongside Jews.
Chapters
- "The Letter"
- "How I Became a Muslim RefusenikRefusenikRefusenik originally referred to citizens of the former Soviet Union who were refused permission to emigrate.Refusenik or refusnik may also refer to:*An Israeli conscientious objector, see Refusal to serve in the Israeli military...
" - "Seventy VirginsHouriIn Islam, the ḥūr or ḥūrīyah are commonly translated as " companions of equal age ", "lovely eyed", of "modest gaze", "pure beings" or "companions pure" of paradise, denoting humans and jinn who enter paradise after being recreated anew in the hereafter...
?" - "When Did We Stop Thinking?"
- "Gates and Girdles"
- "Who's Betraying Whom?"
- "The Hidden Underbelly of Islam"
- "Operation IjtihadIjtihadIjtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....
" - "In Praise of Honesty"
- "Thank God for the West"
Editions
- The Trouble with Islam, St. Martin's Press (hardcover), 2004, ISBN 0-312-32699-8
- The Trouble with Islam Today, St. Martin's Griffin (paperback), 2005, ISBN 0-312-32700-5
Translations:
- Finnish: Islamin kahdet kasvot, Tammi (paperback), 2004, ISBN 951-31-3076-2, translated by Tiina Sjelvgren
- UrduUrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
editions are available on her website here http://www.muslim-refusenik.com/ - Many other translations exist, from Hindi to German
Reception
The Trouble with Islam Today has been translated into more than 30 languages. Manji has made multiple translations of the book (namely Arabic, Urdu, Malay and Persian) available for free download on her website, with the intention of reaching readers in those countries where her book is banned.Since its publication, the book has been met with both praise and criticism from Muslim and non-Muslim sources. Khaleel Mohammed
Khaleel Mohammed
Khaleel Mohammed is associate professor of Religion at San Diego State University , in San Diego, California, and a core faculty member of SDSU's .- Specialties and research interests :...
, an imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and professor of Islam at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, wrote in his foreword to Manji's book that "Irshad wants us to do what our Holy Book wants us to do: end the tribal posturing, open our eyes, and stand up to oppression, even if it's rationalized by our vaunted imams."
Bina Shah on the other hand, believes that she provides "a million excuses for the excesses committed against the Palestinians." Her sentiments were echoed by M. Junaid Levesque-Alam, who claimed that the book ignored a wealth of scholarship by Jewish historians on Israeli ethnic cleansing, massacres, and torture committed against Palestinians. He also stated that the book is openly feted by ultra-conservative Americans who have advocated war on Iraq and Iran.
Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, suggests that Manji's book "[carries] a fresh and convincing message to the coming generation.”, while Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Michael Sullivan is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger. He describes himself as a political conservative. He has focused on American political life....
, in a book review for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Manji "courageous" and opined that the book's spirit is "long overdue".
As'ad Abu Khalil, political scientist at California State University, Stanislaus
California State University, Stanislaus
California State University, Stanislaus, also known as Cal State Stanislaus or simply Stan State is a campus in the California State University system which was established in 1957 in Turlock, California. It is also the only campus in the CSU system to offer a bachelor's degree in cognitive studies...
, accuses Manji of disproportionately targeting Muslims, ignoring the peripheral context within which most Muslims live, and not applying the same critiques to other groups, notably those with allegedly more power in society such as conservative Christians. Abu Khalil also asserts Manji is not trained in Islamic scholarship, history, or the Arabic language, and as such ignores the multiplicity of debates and traditions within Islam. Khaled Almeena, editor of the Arab News in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, called the book "fraudulent" and stated that it is misrepresenting as a guide to Islam.
Quantara, a website promoting interfaith dialogue, mentions that "Irshad Manji breaks every taboo in the book while also challenging our prejudices about Islam. What's more, she does so as a Muslim, not as a Westernized woman preaching from the pulpit of a feminist ivory tower.". A contrasting view comes from Omar Afra, editor of Free Press Houston, who charges Manji with a failure to see the problems of the Islamic world in a socio-economic context. He also states that Manji "sees the mistreatment of women in the Islamic world as a monolith all the while ignoring rampant date rape and domestic abuse in Western culture."
Tarek Fatah
Tarek Fatah
Tarek Fatah Urdu: طارق فتح is a Canadian political activist, writer, and broadcaster. He is the author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State published by John Wiley & Sons. In the book Fatah challenges the notion that the establishment of an Islamic state is a necessary...
, a fellow Canadian Muslim, who originally criticized The Trouble With Islam reversed his stance by saying that Manji was "right about the systematic racism in the Muslim world" and that "there were many redeeming points in her memoir".
External links
Downloads from the author's official website:- Complete free online edition of The Trouble with Islam Today in Arabic - HTML and zip file
- Complete free online edition of The Trouble with Islam Today in Urdu - HTML and zip file
- Complete free online edition of The Trouble with Islam Today in Persian - HTML and zip file