Irshad Manji

Who’s my favorite Lesbian? While she has razor sharp wit and pretty good rhythmn for a white girl it sure ain’t Ellen Degeneres. Irshad Manji caught my eye a few years ago  when she was being interviewed on a talk show for her book, “The Trouble with Islam: A wake-up Call for Honesty and Change”. I can’t lie - at the time my only understanding of Islam was through the Nation of Islam with Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, and the brainwashed dudes that stand on the street corners of the most poverty-stricken inner city areas  in scorching heat wearing suits and dodging cars while trying to sell those NOI newspapers.

The truth is when I first saw Manji I wasn’t really listening to her message. I was too busy licking my lips while looking at her peanut butter skin, wildly colored and feathered hair, sharp, distinctive facial features, and aggressive, animated body language.  She had an urgency in her voice as she valiantly and unapologetically articulated her message. Even though I was distracted by her beauty some comments did pierce through the haze of infatuation permeating my head - critiquing mainstream Islam,  dominant strains of Judaism, and Hinduism as deeply sexist, homophobic, and authoritarian sounded like stabs with a precision cutting tool the way she articulated herself. It was immediately and blatantly obvious that this woman was unequivocally intelligent, passionate, and driven by her purpose to expose the mistreatment of Muslim women.

But something was different about her - she wasn’t the typical run-of-the-mill, brash, loud, condescending or emasculating kind of feminist nor did she appear to be enraged or demanding. She had a calmness and self control yet sternness about her as she conveyed a storm of  generational brutality against Muslim women.  I wasn’t prepared for such an  abrupt and prompt delivery from such a beautiful, petite, mind numbingly articulate, animated young woman. I was stunned, excited, confused, and angry. I found out later through researching Manji that she had a similar effect on many of the people that listened to her message.

I was compelled to find out who this woman is. Maybe I could call in a few favors and run into her at some rally or a banquet or charity ball or something (yeah I’m that well connected). Unfortunately, for me, I found out she is a lesbian - oh well. Still, she’s a brilliant, assertive, courageous, and beautiful woman.  

Now here comes the bad news but before I tell you the bad news I must tell you that the days of the Malcolm X’s, Thurgood Marshals, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Ghandis are over. There will be no more end all be all saviors, champions of justice and selfless leaders of martyrdom, at least, not in the way that the world is accustomed to, so for those of you that don’t know of Irshad and you may be thinking she’s the next Joan of Arc you can cool your heels.  I feel Irshad is simply doing what any sociopolitically conscious, activist-minded person would do that has put themselves in the position to be a prominent voice. However, to some people she is no more than a glorified opportunist.

Justin Podur  gives Manji a proverbial slap in the face by calling her  a “Multifaceted fraud” and a “disinterested intellectual” in his review of her book. He alleges that Manji whitewashes the crimes of the U.S. and Israel and cited  her critique of injustices in the muslim community in her book as  being filled with  factual errors, biases, manipulations, or distortions  yet he suggests for her to call people in the U.S.   “delusional Americans” or “delusional westerners.” That’s showing us, Podur.  I’m sorry, Podur, but before Irshad Manji I had no idea of the atrocities that were committed in the muslim community against women.

The good news is Manji has put herself in the position of airing the  dirty laundry of the Muslim community long before it was fashionable for T.V. shows like ‘Law and Order’ to have mock episodes where the first born son of a fictitious muslim family  was put on trial in an American court for having  free reign to kill any and all females within the family including the mother. Since we’re talking about U.S. hypocrisy why don’t we talk about South African hipocrisy? Why don’t we talk about Muslim men not allowing  women into  Mosques in England to pray? Yes, there’s a lot of delusion and hypocrisy as well as corruption going on around the world. But lets make Irshad the focus of everyone’s hate.  That’s it. One petite little 110 pound woman.

At this point it doesn’t matter who has their hand in the cookie jar. There’s a lot of blame to go around and I would start with the governments of these prospective countries, mainly, the United States, that pay each other under the table to weaponize and engage in wars while looking the other way and hiding their bloody hands behind their backs in the effort to be heard amongst the international community and try to re-establish the pecking order to their advantage. I would also start with radical Muslims who for whatever reason feel they can declare anyone and anything an enemy in the name of Allah and think killing and destroying is the key to peace and happiness and to reserve their seats next to Allah.