Irshad Manji, geboren 1968 in Uganda, kam mit vier Jahren als Flüchtling mit ihrer Familie nach Kanada. 2003 veröffentlichte sie "The Trouble with Islam" (Der Aufbruch. Plädoyer für einen aufgeklärten Islam. Eichborn 2003). Darin kritisiert sie die Rückständigkeit eines Islam, der seit Jahrhunderten auf die Tradition des "Itschdihad", einer liberalen Interpretation des Koran, verzichtet, und sich im Widerspruch zum Westen sieht. Manji ist Direktorin des "Moral Courage Project" an der New York University und Senior Fellow der European Foundation for Democracy. Mit ihr sprach Sylke Tempel.

Nicht nur die Extremisten, sondern auch die moderaten Muslime sind ein Problem, meint die kanadische Feministin und Publizistin Irshad Manji.

Journalist Quarratulain Zaman from Deutsche Welle met with Irshad Manji during her last visit to Germany to discuss women's rights within Islam, equality between the sexes, microcredit opportunities for women's empowerment, and how women can be the leaders of reform within Islam.

It's encouraging to see that not all the talk of change and hope is about getting votes. It is also about getting things done. For Irshad Manji, the words define her work of the last five years, since the publication of her book The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith.

When Irshad Manji gets up in the morning, she checks her e-mail for death threats and forwards them to the police. It's a regular day for Manji, who has become a target for religious extremists after publishing her international best seller, The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith.

Welcome to my morning routine: I check my overnight e-mails for direct threats and forward them to the police. Upon arriving at work - having taken a route different from the day before - I boot up a computer that connects to a security hotline.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Irshad Manji are two of the most prominent and outspoken critics of what they and others see as “mainstream Islam.” Brilliant, dynamic women — the overused word “charismatic” is not inappropriate for either one — they have each rebelled against a Muslim upbringing to become public figures with large and devoted followings.

Aiming to present a "stereotype-defying tour of the Muslim world's diversity and complexity," the Think-Different Women festival says it's chosen movies with central characters who are especially "think-different women" - people who challenge extremism and "offer rarely heard iconoclastic voices," like Irshad Manji...

Irshad Manji reviews Dutch MP Geert Wilders' film that was posted online last week. She states that the anti-Muslim film is dull and easily dismissed. A more creative approach might have forced Muslims to look within.

Viele Kritiker des Islam bemängeln, die Religion entwickle sich seit Jahrhunderten nicht weiter. Dabei gab es einst – vor gut 1000 Jahren – eine Bewegung der islamischen Aufklärung. Diese Zeit ist vorbei. Gelehrte, die eine Modernisierung des Islam propagieren, brauchen deshalb dringend Unterstützung.

Immer mehr Männer und inzwischen zunehmend Frauen ermorden ihre Gatten. Dieses bittere neue soziale Phänomen wird im Iran „Gattenmord“ genannt, „Hamsarkoshi“.

Die Zwangsverschleierung der Frauen wurde mit der islamischen Revolution im Iran eingeführt. Nima Namdari hat dies in einer iranischen Frauen-Online-Zeitschrift untersucht. Der folgende Text beruht auf dessen historischer Untersuchung. Namdari ist mit der iranischen Frauenrechtlerin Nasrin Afzali verheiratet.

Leila Miñano interviewed Irshad Manji during her speaking tour of Europe in March, 2008. Miñano describes Irshad Manji as a woman with a controversial mission, and one of the most threatening women in the world due to her “unconventional’ discourse. Miñano emphasizes Irshad’s “Joie de Vivre” and discusses the best-selling book “The Trouble With islam Today” in which Irshad Manji calls for Muslims to question the bases of traditional Islam.

Gérald Papy, journalist at La Libre Belgique, reported on Irshad Manji's applauded "60 Minute Policy Briefing" on the empowerment of Muslim Women, hosted by the European Policy Centre in Brussels on February 22nd. Papy noted Irshad's views and beliefs on the ways in which Islam is diverting from the true meanings of the Qu'ran and how this is effecting the individual lives of women around the world.

Irshad Manji walks a dangerous path, claiming her right as a believer to criticise and interpret Islam. Salil Tripathi talks to her after the release of her new film...

Ms. Irshad Manji, interviewed in January 2008 by France24, explains her position regarding the ban on headscarves in French state-funded schools. She backs France’s decision as the ban targets only the secular school system, leaving the rest of society free to make their own choice to wear a headscarf or not. In regards to Muslim integration in Europe, she slams Western Europe for fostering a “multiculturalism of segregation”.

In this seven minute interview with Sir David at Al-Jazeera in London, Irshad discusses the direction of the Islamic faith, and the corruption of Islam into an ideology of fear. She states that it is up to Muslims to change the course of Islam, and take responsibility in altering the corruption of Islam. She quotes the Qu’ran and states that “God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Irshad calls for self-criticism by the Muslim people instead of just engaging in finger pointing at the rest of the world.

Irshad Manji est musulmane. Et démocrate, féministe et lesbienne. Pour elle, il n'y a là aucune contradiction...

In a private interview with Le Monde, Irshad Manji discusses her work and her life as a reform minded Muslim.  A faithful Muslim, Irshad continues to work for the reconcilation of liberty, and Islam.

Simin Behbahani ist eine authentische Stimme des gegenwärtigen Iran. Sie lebt im Iran und ist eine der berühmtesten iranischen Schriftstellerinnen und Lyrikerinnen. Für ihren Kampf für Meinungsfreiheit und Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter bekam sie 1998 den Hellman/Hammett Preis von Human Rights Watch verliehen.

A glorious culture clash took place in Iran recently that made me laugh out loud. The children of Che Guevara, the revolutionary pin-up, had been invited to Tehran University to commemorate [...]