Feisty, fiery Irshad Manji doesn't
fit the stereotype of the quiet, veiled Muslim woman. The Toronto-based
journalist/author/TV personality will speak on Wednesday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Memorial Chapel. A
reception will follow in the Hale House Dining Room. The event is free and open
to the public.
Her presentation, “Not My Father's
Islam: Empowering Women and Reform in the Islamic World,” is this year's
Frederick E. Miller Lecture Series in Honor of Anwar Sadat.
Ms. magazine named her a “Feminist for the 21st
Century”; and the New York Times wrote
that she was “Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare,” a moniker she wears with
pride.
Manji is president of VERB, a
youth-focused TV channel in development; host of “Big Ideas,” a weekly show
aimed at college students; and host/senior producer of Citytv's Queer
Television. Her most recent book is The
Trouble with Islam.
At age 23, she was the national
affairs editorial writer for the Ottawa
Citizen – the youngest editorial board member at any major Canadian
newspaper. At one time, she was the press secretary for the Ontario Minister of
Women's Issues. She is writer-in-residence at the University
of Toronto's Hart House.
For more information, visit
Manji's website at http://www.muslim-refusenik.com