The New York Times describes Irshad Manji as “Osama bin Laden’s worst nightmare.” She takes that as a compliment.  Irshad is the best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith.  Her book has been published in 26 countries, including Pakistan, India, Lebanon and Turkey. In those countries that have banned The Trouble with Islam Today, she is reaching readers by posting free translations on her website: www.muslim-refusenik.com.

As a scholar, Irshad is currently Senior Fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy. She recently served as Visiting Fellow at Yale University and Writer-In-Residence at the University of Toronto.  She continues to present to audiences as diverse as Cambridge University, Amnesty International and the Pentagon.

 As a journalist, Irshad’s columns are distributed worldwide by the New York Times Syndicate.  In April 2007, she will present “Faith Without Fear,” her documentary film about reconciling Islam with freedom. As an activist, Irshad is president of “Project Ijtihad,” an Internet initiative to revive Islam’s own tradition of dissent and debate. In that capacity, the World Economic Forum has selected her as a Young Global Leader. Oprah Winfrey recently honored Irshad with the first annual Chutzpah Award for “audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction.” Ms. magazine named her a Feminist for the 21st Century, and New York-based Immigration Equality gave her its Global Vision Prize.  Above all, the Jakarta Post in Indonesia -- the world’s largest Muslim country -- identifies Irshad as one of three Muslim women creating positive change in Islam today.