This evening I emerged from my philosophy class and turned on my cell phone to call back in to a meeting in California. Instead, I saw an unfamiliar message: No service: SOS only. What to do? 
I decided to join Dan Dennett and others in attending a talk and book-signing by Irshad Manji, the author of The Trouble with Islam Today : A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith. And I’m really glad I did. She’s an excellent speaker: energetic, passionate, witty, uncompromising. Dennett asked her how she dealt with critics who saw her open discussion of Islam with “infidels” as a betrayal; how she negotiated that “fine line”. She rejected the premise: she’s not interesting in balance, in compromising with bigotry. She’s not trying to convince those who disagree with her: she’s seeking to empower and encourage those who share her beliefs but are afraid of speaking out.
No, I don’t share her faith, nor do I agree with her qualified support for the invasion of Iraq, but I applaud her commitment to universal human rights, her integrity, and her courage. A wonderful event. Do hear her if you get the chance.