Irshad Manji book launch deferred amidst protests
Published: May 11, 2012 5:02 PM | Updated: May 11, 2012 6:38 PM
‘Controversial’ liberal-Islam author Irshad Manji’s launch of the Malay translation of her latest book Allah, Liberty and Love at a popular bookstore in Kuala Lumpur has been postponed in the face of protests here and abroad.
The launch of the ‘controversial’ liberal-Islam author’s book titled ‘Allah, Liberty and Love’ has been postponed till next week.
‘Controversial’ liberal-Islam author Irshad Manji’s launch of the Malay translation of her latest book Allah, Liberty and Love at a popular bookstore in Kuala Lumpur has been postponed in the face of protests here and abroad.
Her publishers informed Malaysiakini that the book launch is being put off to next week, to a time and venue as yet undisclosed, as Manji (left), a Canadian, is having difficulties travelling to Malaysia from Indonesia due to protests against her by Islamist groups.
The translated version of the book titled Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta in Malay is being published by ZI Publications.
Earlier this week, PAS Youth has called upon the government to ban Manji from conducting any programmes in Malaysia for fear that she will spread “bad deeds” in the country.
“We urge the authorities to act decisively in stopping any such programmes as they clearly promote an ideology that can pollute the mind, morals and lifestyle of the public,” said the movement’s chief Nasruddin Hassan in a statement.
Nasruddin described Irshad Manji as “a homosexuality activist” and her book as a collection of “views that are against Islam”, condemning her “liberal Islam” as anathema to the faith.
“Allowing her presence and meeting with fans means that we are allowing her deviant agenda to spread in this country.
“This is against the values of religion and culture which form the basis of our society and nation,” argued the PAS Youth leader.
PAS’ objections to the author is not new as Manji, 44, continue to garner negative attention from hardline Islamist groups, most recently in neighbouring Indonesia, where several dialogue programmes and book launches involving her had to be cancelled due to mounting protests.
The author was also scheduled to speak at a discussion at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa next Monday, though the event has been cancelled due to what insiders described as “orders from way high up”.
It is not certain if the cancellation has anything to do with the protest by PAS or any government oversight, though some inside the university’s academia have expressed disappointment with the move.
ZI Publications director Ezra Zaid told Malaysiakini that the cancellation was made because of opposition from certain quarters, though he was not sure whether it is from the student body, faculty, or the administration.
Gaining both fame and infamy
Manji gained both fame and infamy for her very liberal views on Islam, as well as her initiatives to promote interfaith marriages, adamant that a person does not have to convert from their faith just to get married.
This is contrary to accepted notions of Islam whereby a person marrying a Muslim must convert to the religion as well.
She earned the distinction of having been publicly chastised by the Saudi Arabian newspaper Arab News which had accused her work as being “fraudulent”.
Manji, however, has also obtained praise for her work, being accorded the Chutzpah Award for “audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction” by Oprah Winfrey’s magazine O, named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and identified by The Jakarta Post in Indonesia as one of three Muslim women creating positive change in Islam.
The author is also known for her work as the director of New York University’s Moral Courage Project and Project Ijtihad, an initiative to return to what she claim is a return to Islam’s own version of ijtihad or creative thinking.
Manji’s work mostly challenges accepted notions in Islam, in the belief that education and the freedom to think is paramount and not the indoctrination she believed is commonly practiced in most religious teachings.
Before Allah, Liberty and Love, she had written the international best seller The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith, as well as produced an Emmy-nominated PBS film, Faith Without Fear.
Her publishers informed Malaysiakini that the book launch is being put off to next week, to a time and venue as yet undisclosed, as Manji (left), a Canadian, is having difficulties travelling to Malaysia from Indonesia due to protests against her by Islamist groups. The translated version of the book titled Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta in Malay is being published by ZI Publications.
Earlier this week, PAS Youth has called upon the government to ban Manji from conducting any programmes in Malaysia for fear that she will spread “bad deeds” in the country.
“We urge the authorities to act decisively in stopping any such programmes as they clearly promote an ideology that can pollute the mind, morals and lifestyle of the public,” said the movement’s chief Nasruddin Hassan in a statement.
Nasruddin described Irshad Manji as “a homosexuality activist” and her book as a collection of “views that are against Islam”, condemning her “liberal Islam” as anathema to the faith.
“Allowing her presence and meeting with fans means that we are allowing her deviant agenda to spread in this country.“This is against the values of religion and culture which form the basis of our society and nation,” argued the PAS Youth leader.
PAS’ objections to the author is not new as Manji, 44, continue to garner negative attention from hardline Islamist groups, most recently in neighbouring Indonesia, where several dialogue programmes and book launches involving her had to be cancelled due to mounting protests.
The author was also scheduled to speak at a discussion at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa next Monday, though the event has been cancelled due to what insiders described as “orders from way high up”.
It is not certain if the cancellation has anything to do with the protest by PAS or any government oversight, though some inside the university’s academia have expressed disappointment with the move.
ZI Publications director Ezra Zaid told Malaysiakini that the cancellation was made because of opposition from certain quarters, though he was not sure whether it is from the student body, faculty, or the administration.
Gaining both fame and infamy
Manji gained both fame and infamy for her very liberal views on Islam, as well as her initiatives to promote interfaith marriages, adamant that a person does not have to convert from their faith just to get married.
This is contrary to accepted notions of Islam whereby a person marrying a Muslim must convert to the religion as well.
She earned the distinction of having been publicly chastised by the Saudi Arabian newspaper Arab News which had accused her work as being “fraudulent”.Manji, however, has also obtained praise for her work, being accorded the Chutzpah Award for “audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction” by Oprah Winfrey’s magazine O, named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and identified by The Jakarta Post in Indonesia as one of three Muslim women creating positive change in Islam.
The author is also known for her work as the director of New York University’s Moral Courage Project and Project Ijtihad, an initiative to return to what she claim is a return to Islam’s own version of ijtihad or creative thinking.
Manji’s work mostly challenges accepted notions in Islam, in the belief that education and the freedom to think is paramount and not the indoctrination she believed is commonly practiced in most religious teachings.
Before Allah, Liberty and Love, she had written the international best seller The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith, as well as produced an Emmy-nominated PBS film, Faith Without Fear.
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