I believe her area of "specialization" is equality of the sexes. I have some experience with that determinant myself. And for Islam, like Catholicism, there's a helluva lot of catching up to do. That is, if we are to survive our ancient inherited belief systems and their accompanying dogma . Surely we can leave a better legacy for those following. At least, I cannot see hope within a belief system in which only the males have a voice.
You're saying then that the Catholic church should be respectful of its victims and not build anymore churches in South America, or is that injunction only reserved for Islam?
As for sexism, regardless of the way it is practiced by some, the fact is that Qu'ran is pretty straight forward on issues of gender relations, and at face value is far more advanced than the bible, even integrating the right of women to claim alimony as part of divorce settlements, and there never was any room for discussion about wether or not women had "souls" or not, as has been debated by Christian theologians.
One might want to ask Manji, where in the Qu'ran it orders that men and women may not share swimming pools? Or conversly, ask her does the fact that the Catholic Church does not allow women to lead prayer mean that the Catholic Church should be prohibited from building community centers, or other public buildings? Or ask likewise if the Catholic church position against homosexuality is enough to justify prohibiting it excersizing the right to participate in community projects, or when the Papacy is going to put Christopher Dawkins on the lecture circuit so to speak to their congregations?
These absurd rhetorical questions of hers could be readily asked of numerous popular insititutions in the United States, many feted and supported by those in the most respected positions in the land, (incidentally many also members of the no Mosque movement) but Manji can't wait to get to the front of the line with the Tea Party and all these other neo-fascist movements in the United States, to bring special attention to the failings of Islam, as if it is exceptional somehow.
If her expertise were truly "equality of the sexes" you would think that this obvious point would not elude her?
But why should she make this point, since she is making boatloads of money claiming to have special insight into Islamic practice (a claim that she makes simply because she is brown, and comes from a Muslim family from Uganda, or so it seems, since she has no special credentials in this area), and feeding the prejudices of xenophobes everywhere.
not George's word only his quoteindividual dignity and pruralism of ideas:
-"Will the swimming pool at Park51 be segregated between men and women at any time...?
[if it is not will the CWA be able to sue them if they refuse to rent them pool time for an event for their young women]
- "May women lead congregational prayers any day of the week?
[when will the catholic church accord equal rights to women in the celebration of the liturgy]
- "What will be taught about homosexuals? About agnostics? About atheists? About apostasy?
[what ever is mandated for the moslems would have to be enforced on the catholics and born again christians and some hindu sects and some jewish synagogs.]
- "Where does one sign up for advance tickets to Salman Rishdie's lecture at Park51?"
[same place as you get the tickets for Morgentaler's lecture at the catholic centre or his talk at Billy Grahams crusade]
"These questions aren't gratuitous. I, for one, remain haunted by the 300 Muslims chanting 'Death to Rushdie' .... on Sept. 10, 2001. They gathered outside a theatre in Houston to protest against a visit by the novelist - the target of a 1989 death warrant from Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomaini...
[These are not gratuitous I for one am haunted by the doctors murdered by religious fanatics demanding that women have no rights. They were not the target of angry chanters they were targeted by murderous self righteous people who are praised within the christian faith to this day. I am further enraged by the effect those murders have had on the number of doctors willing to perform a full range of medical services for women's health. ]
All faiths have warnings against hypocrisy. She would do well to read some of them.
Closing for length.
