Irshad Manji and Dalia Mogahed - Who Speaks for Islam?
Published by Suhaib Webb September 15th, 2008 in General
49 Responses to “Irshad Manji and Dalia Mogahed - Who Speaks for Islam?”
- 1 Pingback on Sep 30th, 2008 at 2:02 am
- 2 Pingback on Oct 19th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Dang… Some one needs to teach Irshad how to say As Salaam Alaikum.
This would have been so much more productive if Sr. Dalia had just given a speech. Irshad is so out of her league.
I can’t listen to feminist banter for more than 30 seconds. It really hurts my ears, the tone that they speak with. Sister Dalia is masha Allah impressive though with her thoughtful responses.
ASA,
What benefit does this woman bring to the conversation? Irshad Manji doesn’t belong in any discussion about Islam. It’s painful to even listen to her. You might as well have Ayan Hirsi Ali talking about Islam.
Ws
Sister Dahila’s responses were on point, well argued, beautifully articulated, and actually made sense. A very understated but nonetheless potent display of a well placed intellect.
What a credit to Muslimahs everywhere.
I forgot to add: Mashallah!
That last comment by sis.Dalia really sowed up the talk, and summarized the causes. Irshad is annoying, and overly talkative to a point of rudeness. It seems like she’s hurt if she cant get the last word.
All I can say is: PWNED!!
Using my great powers of ijtihad, I was able to deduce that someone hadn’t done their homework. Hopefully Ms. Manji will spend the next few years quietly ruminating in the background.
Sister Dalia was a model of intelligent eloquence — a real breath of fresh air, given the pundits who usually speak for us!
One extremely important question that one of the sisters, in the audience, asked is:
“As a young Muslim myself, trying to find where I stand in this spectrum, I was wondering how Muslims gain access and where they find reformed interpretations to educate ourselves from credible sources,… where do we get this information from?”
I think we need to be actively addressing this issue and building respectable institutions and councils to reach the masses of the Muslims who are lost in the hyperliberalism of Irshad Manji and the hyperconservatism of some in our communities. On one end you have Irshad asking every Muslim to open up the Qur’an and make ijtihad, and on the other you have “more pious than Islam” Muslims, who are repulsing people away from Islam by mixing their “immigrant” cultural baggage with Islam and labeling the whole thing Islam.
We need to start letting people see what Islam really is and countering both aspects of extremism (hyperliberalism and hyperconservatism). May Allah allow us to properly propagate His religion, ameen.
What are some practical steps we can take to make this happen?
“I think we need to be actively addressing this issue and building respectable institutions and councils to reach the masses of the Muslims who are lost in the hyperliberalism of Irshad Manji and the hyperconservatism of some in our communities. ”
salaam,
I think you made a good comment. What can be done is learning to listen to them. Deep listening. When people are heard, they listen to you. They feel voiceless. We failed to connect to very qualified sources/resources in this community because they are nonMuslim, hence we failed to learn strategies and skill sets that can help us heal our communities. If I may offer the following website for reflection. Make a note of what he says.
http://www.voicelessness.com
“at the root of much emotional suffering is a core self, unseen, unheard, and unloved, a condition I call ‘voicelessness.’ Voicelessness leaves people in a bind–they desperately need to find their place in the world, yet their experience with significant others has taught them this is impossible. Often they spend a lifetime trying to compensate using relationships, career, and other strivings. But feelings of dread, shame, and despair, linger, and then appear full force when failure or losses occur. Solving the problem of voicelessness requires a therapeutic relationship where one’s core self, human and **imperfect**, is finally seen, heard, and valued.”
To guide and to fix someone are two different things. Our communities have been trying to fix, and not guide. When you guide, you listen and seek to understand. Our prophet, upon him peace and blessings, was mocked for being “All Ears.” We barely have one because we are trying to fix people.
wasalaam,
Fedwa
WoW, i can’t believe sister (its hard for me to even say that “sister”) Manji said in the Battle of Badr that “the Prophet and his rag tag…..” WHAT! did she claim to be a Muslimah and say such a thing. I pray that Allah ta’ala guide her and guide me to be better in Iman and more closer to the Sunnah. Amain
There are point Manji has but i can respect that but i don’t agree this reform minded idea.
Sister Dalia, Mashallah i must say we need more and more sisters like here.
wa’salam
hmm i dont get it, she is asked about who speaks for islam, and goes off on a rant about interfaith marriges? whats that about lol,
Abdifatah:
She does these things on purpose to solicit emotional replies from her Muslim counterparts, or those in the audience. After that, she uses such responses to build on her contention that Muslims are un-domesticated, incapable and unaware of the basic premises needed to function in the modern world.
I felt that she was trying to get Ust. Dalila to react to her, even stating to the effect that she was going to address touchy issues and, “Bring a lot of resources.” Fortunately Allah gave Ust. Dalia the insight and fortitude not to lose it but respond in a manner that, at times, left Irshad ruminating!
SDW
May Allah preserve and protect the likes of our dear sister Dalia, and may Allah bring forth sisters and brothers like her who can remain well composed and answer such questions in the public and western domain in such a way. I have benefitted a lot from her answers, alhamdulillah!
Irshad Manji is a self-styled specialist on Muslims/Islam, my question to her is what is the fara’id of wudhu?
Did Ust. Dalia go to Azhar?
My apologies for not contributing to the conversation but I’m lovin’ the “Moh-gaa-head” instead of Mujahid! Hehehe…
I think Sr Dalia is Egyptian, hence the Mogahed and not Mujahid. I could be wrong.
Anyway, I thought she was brilliant, may Allah increase her in knowledge and allow her more platforms to address the non-Muslims, even on our behalf.
This is a message to you Sister Dalia - may Allah raise you in rank amongst us. Amin.
I urge all those who may have a contact for her, to email her with warm and kind encouraging comments.
MashaAllah
salaam,
I will email her this blog. Why don’t you invite her to your Mosques to speak to sisters and serve as a good role model? We are planning on bringing her to Minnesota.
We need to promote her and her work. American Enterprise promotes Hirsi and others promote Manji, Wafa Sultan, etc.,
We need to do likewise.
Here is our local Radio Station coverage of this event:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977395625&grpId=3659174697252131&nav=Groupspace
She plays on people’s ignorance of Islam. So we need to educate and create good relationships with our communities.
wasalaam,
Fedwa
Br. Suhaib jazakallah for the thought, i just though she was way off. I see know why she does that as you stated.
wa’salam
Menji draws upon a lot of personal experience in order to justify her points.
LOL- Irshad put me to sleep with her answer to first question…blah blah..
Rag tag army?? Is she belittling the sahaba’s? auozibilah.
I must point out the desparate failed attempts of Ms Manji trying to market her product. Well if we want to be main stream Muslims, as our intellectual sister Dalia had hinted to us let us make the best of every thing we face. May Allah guide us all ameen. inshaAllah there is a big possibility, by the ones who now want to distrack us from peace. But soon may get fedup of their deceptive ways and make a U turn to Allah and his prophet’s way ameen.
The hadith comes to mind. Soon Ulema will be taken away.
People will refer to ignorant people and they will be in missguidance and will miss guide others.
Once you ignore the prinicple and method of seeking knowledge then the outcome is naturally flawed. Why do we need to give platform to the likes of Irshad. Surely in their statement, the nifaq is being revealed.
I loved when sr. Dahlia hit the nail on the head by comparing the methods of “reinterpretation” to the way of Al-Qaeda! Who would have imagined Al-Qaeda and Irshad Manji have so much in common!
Hmm, Irshad isn’t linking to this video from her web site… I wonder why!
http://www.irshadmanji.com/im-catch-me-if-you-can
Catch me on television, that is. On Sunday, I’ll appear on two different CNN programs:
* Fareed Zakaria GPS — Global affairs show hosted by the editor of Newsweek International and author of The Post-American World. I’m part of a panel debating Iran, Israel, Russia, Georgia and the US election.
Our discussion will likely air 30 minutes after the broadcast begins. Here’s when the show starts:
US: 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific
International: 12 noon and 7 pm GMT
* Race, Age and Gender – A one-hour special about the US election. I’ll be part of a multi-faith panel debating whether bias and bigotry in the voting booth are sins.
–
Can someone explain to me WHY THE HECK is she on national television repping Islam? Fareed Zakaria?? come on, I thought he had more sense in him, This is pathetic.
Irshad calls her self a reformed minded Muslim Ms. Manji will need to spend few more moments ruminating regarding the following points. 1. In order to affiliate you’re self to a sect or a known religion group you must follow and adhere to its principles. Opposing these principles will lead to blasphemy. 2. Irshad openly claims to be a lesbian which is a major sin and you cannot announce openly about a sin, it’s a disease and it should be diagnosed. 3. She openly criticise the prophets companion (Manji said in the Battle of Badr that “the Prophet and his rag tag army) whilst God in the Quran and the prophet totally prohibited anyone to criticize the companions. So I do not think Irshad should associate herself to Islam but rather say that she is either a hypocrite or lost or someone who is deluded.
I would like to correct one point Irshad pointed out incorrectly is that when she said ‘Prophet Mohammed proposed to a wealthy women and she remain his boss for several years’ well first of all it was Khadiza who proposed to the prophet first, after knowing his excellent qualities and distinguished character. Prophet Mohammad was presented by the tribal leaders to marry anyone he chooses from the beautiful wealthy women of Mecca but he refused to do so. Also she didn’t remain his boss! (Although I don’t have problem with a women being the boss of her husband but just to clarify her misquote) rather she subordinated her self to him because of his lofty characteristics.
i think what is instructive here is that irshad is used to speaking to a neo conservative anti islam audience who appreciate her references and the tone that admonishes islam and muslims, that seeks to reform islam in its image as it has done with christianity.
so whilst muslims and those who are objective viewers will appreciate the islamic input from sr dalia the neo conservatives and their affiliates are actually listening to a different debate and take away irshads misdirection as the progressive modern reformed path.
as for giving voice to mainstream muslims, isnt that a product of the mainstream media who fail to provide access to muslims within the mainstream community?
the thing i note is that neo conservatives have the identical interpretation of the koran and islam as the very people they demonise as extremists. they are in fact part of the same problem, when neo conservatives can find themselves reciting tenets of islam as mainstream islam then surely we as muslims can be one step closer in denying extremists their reformation and reinterpretation of the koran and islam.
maybe more of a point should be made to neo conservatives that their interpretation lies with the extremists not with mainstream islam/muslims.
Assalama Aleikum,
One of the co-authors with Ust. Dalia of “who speaks for Islam”, John-Esposito, will be speaking this Oct 5th, at the ING annual dinner and Fund raiser. Please see if you can make it.
Details: http://www.ing.org/ingannualdinner.asp
Wa Salaam,
Azmat
Irshad Manji seems more interested in promoting her website, book and compliments she receives from others than actually answering questions. May Allah reward sister Dalia for such an excellent job.
masha Allah, i’m only about half way through the video and all I have to see is we need more sisters and BROTHERS like sister Dalia who can articulate our faith in such an intellectual, respectful and non-condescending manner. May Allah (swt) reward her and bless her for her efforts, ameen to the du’aas, and Ramadan Karim to all…last ten nights coming up
MashAllah,
I paused the video about half-way through and wrote out a long, inarticulate rant against the arguments that Irshad was making.
Before I posted it though, I thought, let me watch the rest of the video. And I’m glad I did because everything I wanted to say Siste Dalia said it (and much more) in a way that I never could have. It feels great to be humbled.
Masha Allah, Sr. Dalia made me us all proud. It’s refreshing to see a hijabi speaks in a public forum with such command & beautiful articulation of our deen (not to mention her perfect English:)
I would like to invite her to MCA (Muslim Community Association). Abang Suhaib, do you have her contact? Anda punya email saya di MCA.
May Allah swt accept our ibadah in this blessed month. Amin
salaam,
Dian,
Do invite her. Try this for contact…
http://www.onenationforall.org/component/option,com_deeppockets/task,contShow/id,60/Itemid,87/
We have a few departments in two major Universities that jumped to sponsor this event on Nov 5th. So not everyone is listening to Manji. We just have to push our brothers and sisters that can counter the Manjis and Hirsis forward and support their work.
If you have trouble - give me a sister’s email/org email and I can send you her direct email or her secretary who plans her speaking engagements.
wasalaam,
Fedwa
Imagine how many people she’s fooled with that incorrect definition of Ijtihad. LOL, her main argument is that of Ijtihad, yet she doesn’t seem to really know what it is.
I SUSPECTED THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH MANJI WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED TO TALK, WHEN SHE SAID SALAAMS, NOT THE WAY ITS PRONOUNCED. NEXT, SHE SAID TO THE ATHEIST, “HOW THE HELL ARE YOU”. COMPARE THAT TO HOW SISTER DALIA STARED AND INTRODUCED HERSELF INTO THE TALK.
I found these very powerful videos for Dalia Mogahed. She’s amazing! It seems that she’s extremely respected in many serious professional circles.
Conference by US Army War College and Women in International Security.
rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/ter/ter021207_college2.rm
Mogahed discuss her study on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.
http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=9275&SectionName=&PlayMedia=Yes
Charlie Rose discussion with John Esposito & Dalia Mogahed
http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/09/05/3/a-conversation-with-john-esposito-dalia-mogahed
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-2108738710060181231:2378000:983000&hl=en
Is the non-hijabi lady Pakistani? Does anyone know? Just curious….
Yea she’s paki. born and raised in Canada.
Manji got OWNED!!!!!
She’s not of Pakistani descent, at least according to Wikipedia, which states that “Manji was born in Uganda in 1968 to parents of Egyptian and Gujarati Indian descent.”
But anyways, may Allah (swt) bless Sr. Dalia for defending Islam and may Allah (swt) give people like Irshad Manji the true understanding of Islam. We need more people like Sr. Dalia to speak for us and represent us in the Media. Currently, the mainstream Muslim community (in the west) is being represented by people that really don’t adhere to Islam themselves but for some reason are labeled as experts. I’m not trying to be harsh judge here but people like Irshad Manji don’t really have a right to speak for Islam. To set the record straight here, Irshad Manji is not a Muslim and should stop claiming to represent Islam. Western media outlets should realize that they should seek their information from real, practicing Muslims, not pseudo-Muslims.
MashAllah, Sister Dalia is very well-spoken and knowledgeable. May Allah increase her in knowledge and success, and may Allah increase people like her.
I love seeing how cool and collected Dalia is.
Right at the beginning of this video watch how nervous Irshad is, she keeps figeting (touching the card around her neck, adjusting her shirt, moving her purse to the other side of the chair). She knew she was gonna get it from Dalia, and rightfully so in my opinion.
The crowd seems to be all pro-Irshad though so once again it doesn’t seem like a completely fair debate concerning whose in attendance.
I wonder why Irshad isn’t posting this on her website or her YouTube channel? Not so perfect are ya Irshad. But keep trying to portray yourself that way.
As salaam alaikum.
I enjoyed this video and think that Sister Dalia came off as a very balanced and rational academic. Sister Irshad pontificates without anything but subjective proofs.
Ma’as salaama,
nuh ibn