This bit I wrote originally 10 Feb 2008.

The Trouble with Islam Today by Irshad Manji
A wake-up call for Honesty and change

I am half way through Irshad Manji's book. I started reading it a couple of months ago. It got left aside for a while as I got into an interesting novel. Even now I am also reading a novel, but so far it has not gripped me to the extent that I forget the other book. I think the other reason I am reading Irshad Manji's book slower is that there is a lot to take in. It challenges some of my previous convictions. Well, not exactly convictions. They were not so strong as I was always aware of my lack of real knowledge and the possibility of my being taken in by propaganda. Thinking about it now, I must say that I had been taken in by propaganda to some extent anyway. So now I have to think about what I think and believe about certain things and then very likely adjust my convictions. After getting more information. I am not saying I would end up agreeing with everything Irshad Manji says in this book. I can already see one thing I may end up disagreeing with per(=her/him), although I can understand why per (= s/he) would take a position per is taking in this book. Very interesting, thought provoking book. It says on the cover that it is "A wake-up call for honesty and change". I really hope it does that, not only for muslims but others also.

The book has made one of my convictions even stronger: church and state have to be separate. Of course, people who belong to a church also belong to a state even though there are many people who feel very much outside the state; they feel the state does not care for them, does not allow them a voice in any decisions. However, a church has members who all see things in the same way, more or less. The state has members who see things in many different ways. And that is what makes human society so interesting - so many different people with different views.

Irshad Manji's account about pers visit to Israel in the book is a real eye opener, for me anyway. There are many facts that I did not know. I am sure it is possible to get at these facts by digging further. However, they are not readily available to all. I am afraid propaganda from both sides, Palestinian and Israeli, confuses the issues and realities. I need to do a lot more digging, reading and thinking.