
Irshad Manji All: You've probably heard about the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas - America's biggest military base. The main suspect has a Muslim name. Does this matter? If he did it in the name of Islam, then religion is a motivation. In that case, his Muslim identity is relevant. But if he did it out of other motives - say, mental illness - then his Muslim ID means nothing. That's my take. Yours?

Irshad Manji Hmmm... Did my other two pix - the view from my hotel balcony in Florence - fail to transmit? In that case, I'm attaching one here and the other in the next msg. Thx for all the cold remedies you've been suggesting. Some of them actually sound delicious (which I can't say for all medicines). Grazie and buongiorno!

Irshad Manji Everyone: Attached are three photos from Florence. The first two show the view from my hotel room. (Breath-taking, isn't it?) The third photo shows me with Mohammad Yunus, whom so many of you admire. Thank you, as always, for your wishes of safety and health. I'm doing well - except for my just-caught cold. But soup and sleep should help. Meanwhile, enjoy the pix!

Irshad Manji All: Am well-protected right now at conference of human rights activists at NYU's campus in Italy. Just listened to Muhammad Yunus. Now listening to Luis CdeBaca, director of the Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons. World is full of angels, male and female. A great reminder amid the death threats. I'm deeply moved by your concern. Love from Florence/Firenze!

Irshad Manji Everyone: You've risen to the occasion! Some beautiful messages here for Jila. (And there is beauty in simplicity.) I know she'll be grateful to receive them, as am I. BTW, sorry for being a bit out of touch these last couple of days. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with yet another security issue. Rest assured that I'll always stay in touch as best I can. More soon.

Irshad Manji
All: I'm disappointed to count only 9 msgs on this page for Jila, the Iranian journo who's risking her life for truth, freedom and gov't accountability. I told you about her in my previous msg (below). This past summer, the love you posted for Ali in Tehran helped him survive. Let's show similar passion for Jila. She n...eeds us. And, frankly, we need her. Ready to use our free speech to support Jila's?Read More

Irshad Manji
All: This week, I had the privilege of presenting a Courage in Journalism Award on behalf of the International Women's Media Foundation. The awardee is an Iranian dynamo named Jila Baniyaghoob. I've just blogged about her at http://www.irshadmanji.com. Read Jila's amazing story and then, if you're inspired, I invite yo...u to post a message for her on our FB page. I have a confidential email address thru which I can send all of your messages. Power to the conscience!Read More
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Irshad Manji Whoohoo! I just posted my first "note" (apart from past blog entries). Could I be getting savvy about Facebook??? Hope you'll take the time to read and comment my note -- it's my answer to the question of whether culture eats strategy for breakfast in Afghanistan. See below.

There was a time when I believed. With every fiber of my feminist Muslim being, I believed in America’s Afghanistan mission. No longer. Last spring, the Taliban assassinated another Afghan women’s rights activist. I...

Irshad Manji Hey everyone: You probably know that a UN-backed investigation has found massive fraud in the recent Afghan election, casting doubt on whether Karzai was, in fact, elected president. Apparently, Karzai will announce on Tues morning whether he'll accept another election. Should his decision affect whether more US troops are sent - or whether the US stays at all?

Irshad Manji
All: According to a friend of mine, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Think about that in the context of Afghanistan - and the difficult decision facing Obama about whether to deploy more U.S. troops. If culture eats strategy for breakfast, then the decision seems clear: no more troops, and possibly no troops at a...ll (ie. pull out of Afghanistan). But that's *if* culture eats strategy for breakfast. Does it?Read More

Irshad Manji Everyone: Omar Majeed sits on the board of my charitable foundation, Project Ijtihad, and has an exciting announcement: "My film, Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam, is being released!" In Toronto, for example, it's showing Oct 16, 17 & 19 at The Royal. If you live outside of Toronto or have any questions, please visit the film's website for more information: http://www.taqwacore.com. Enjoy!

Irshad Manji WE'RE BACK! (For now...) Let's keep our fingers crossed that our vibrant and growing community is not zapped into oblivion by capricious techno-gods. Personally, I'm sending positive vibes to all of you and your FB pages. We shall survive. Good night, dear friends.













