Irshad Manji Speaks! Thursday 12 May 19.00

Indian YMCA
41 Fitzroy Square
LONDON W1T 6AQ

Muslim, lesbian, feminist, writer, scholar and TV personality - Irshad Manji is all these things and the controversial best-selling author of 'The Trouble with Islam...' She will be speaking in London on Thursday 12 May 2005, hosted by the Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement and other organisations.

The theme of Ms Manji's talk in London will be 'Faith + Politics + Human Rights' and will follow from the issues raised in her book, which she descibes as:

"'The Trouble with Islam...' is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of reform, to concerned citizens worldwide - Muslim and not. It's about why my faith community needs to come to terms with the diversity of ideas, beliefs and people in our universe, and why non-Muslims have a pivotal role in helping us get there.

" The main purpose of her visit as being to speak on various dimensions of Islam and human rights - from the perspective of a faithful yet struggling Muslim. "My core message is that no community, no ethnicity, no culture and no religion ought to be immune from respecting the universality of human rights. This, of course, is a controversial message in an age of cultural relativism. Mine is a positive message of pluralism. I truly believe that we can be pluralists without becoming relativists. That's especially important for the lesbian and gay movement to understand, given the bigotry we so often face from ethnic and religious groups.

" Oprah Winfrey awarded her the "Chutzpah Award" for "audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction", while Ms Magazine selected her as "Feminist for the 21st Century".

For more information about the event and to buy tickets, please visit:

http://www.faith-politics-humanrights.org

Information and Media Line: 07913 026 766

 Or Call Martin Reynolds 07960 165587

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