Irshad Manji
Richmond British Columbia 49° 9' 47.40" N, 123° 8' 14.69" W writer
Irshad Manji ( ‘Irshād Mānjī ; born 1968) is a Canadian author, journalist and an advocate of a "reform and progressive" interpretation of Islam. Manji is director of the Moral Courage Project at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, which aims to teach young leaders to "challenge political correctness, intellectual conformity and self-censorship."<ref>Irshad Manji</ref> She is also founder and president of Project Ijtihad, a charitable organization promoting a "tradition of critical thinking, debate and dissent" in Islam, among a "network of reform-minded Muslims and non-Muslim allies."<ref></ref>
Manji is a well-known critic of traditional mainstream Islam and was described by The New York Times as "Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare".<ref name=NYT20031004> </ref>
Manji’s most recent book, Allah, Liberty and Love was released in June 2011 in the US, Canada and other countries. On Manji's website, the book is described: "Allah, Liberty and Love shows all of us how to reconcile faith and freedom in a world seething with repressive dogmas. Manji’s key teaching is "moral courage," the willingness to speak up when everyone else wants to shut you up. This book is the ultimate guide to becoming a gutsy global citizen."<ref name="Irshad Manji's Official Website">Irshad Manji's Official Website</ref>
Manji's previous book, The Trouble with Islam Today (initially published as Trouble with Islam), has been published in more than 30 languages, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Malay and Indonesian.<ref name=autogenerated1>Irshad Manji blog and official website » the-book</ref> She was troubled by how Islam is practised today and by the Arab influence on Islam that took away women's individuality and introduced the concept of women's honour.<ref>"Women Rising IV: Women as Religious Activists (Encore)" Making Contact, produced by National Radio Project. April 8, 2009.</ref> Manji has produced a PBS documentary, "Faith Without Fear", chronicling her attempt to "reconcile her faith in Allah with her love of freedom".<ref>America at a Crossroads. Faith without Fear | PBS</ref> The documentary was nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award. As a journalist, her articles have appeared in many publications, and she has addressed audiences ranging from Amnesty International to the United Nations Press Corps to the Democratic Muslims in Denmark to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She has appeared on television networks around the world, including Al Jazeera, the CBC, BBC, MSNBC, C-SPAN, CNN, PBS, the Fox News Channel, CBS, and HBO.<ref>YouTube - IrshadManjiTV's Channel</ref>