'Bin Laden's nightmare' seeks Islamic reformation

[emad]

Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
Monday May 9, 2005
The Guardian

A Muslim woman author, once described as Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare, is to call for the setting up of an Islamic reform movement to press for a change in the faith's attitudes towards human rights, women and pluralist societies at a public meeting this week.

Irshad Manji, a Canadian-based writer and broadcaster, is to launch her campaign for Ijtihad (independent thinking) with a claim for Islamic pluralism and the aim of setting up a foundation for young, reform-minded Muslims to explore and challenge their faith.

"No community, no ethnicity, no culture and no religion ought to be immune from respecting the universality of human rights," she said.
"This, of course, is a controversial message in an age of cultural relativism. I truly believe we can become pluralists without becoming relativists.

"Through our screaming self-pity and conspicuous silences, we Muslims are conspiring against ourselves. We're in crisis and we are dragging the rest of the world with us. If ever there was a moment for an Islamic reformation, it is now."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1479419,00.html

[Roland99]

1. Islamic Renaissance?

[ck4829]

2. Irshad Manji is this Muslim's Heroine

"No community, no ethnicity, no culture and no religion ought to be immune from respecting the universality of human rights," she said.
"This, of course, is a controversial message in an age of cultural relativism. I truly believe we can become pluralists without becoming relativists."

Excellent, just excellent.

The problem IS NOT Religion, it is the mixing of Hard Right attitudes and Religion that leads to things such as the Crusades, Inquisition, and 9/11. If humanity can isolate Hard RW Mentalities from the rest of the world, it would be a great place.

[emad]

4. Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer and human

rights campaigner, also 100% excellent.

[ck4829]

5. Yes, she is. They both are great people.

These are the Muslims that the 'christian' right does not want to talk about and they could never be like them either.

[Wright Patman]

3. Is there a similar woman

in the realm of fundamentalist Christianity who is willing to do this?

The answer is no. All such women have been driven out. The ones left are Stepford wives.

And this movement RUNS OUR COUNTRY.

[barb162]

6. I suspect this woman

will be "fatwahed" soon if it hasn't already happened.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

7. I was thinking the same thing n/t