Irshad Manji: Faith without Fear

When Irshad Manji wants you to understand something, which she does quite often, the colour of her arresting brown eyes seems to intensify. Their shade at once deepens and shines. Her posture remains perfectly upright, while her whole body leans in and lengthens itself to one finger pointing directly at your heart while she speaks.

“I do not live with fear;” she says clearly and slowly, “Not because I have nothing to be afraid of, nor do I invite violence or hate. I refuse to live with fear. It is not part of my life.”

Courage is often required for Irshad to speak publicly, but she feels the importance of her work outweighs personal risk. After all, she little more reason to be afraid today than she did as a young girl, abused by her father and threatened by her educators at a private religious school. She has also taken great risks in her career; first in following her elected member of parliament to Ottawa, and later as the openly gay anchor of a national television show. Irshad is driven, insatiably curious, passionate about her cause, and fearless.

She is also defiantly loyal to a faith that provokes conscience-shaking acts. Irshad believes that the Muslim faith is an important and inherently good one, which can and will adapt to modern human rights and multicultural values. She prays every day and follows Ramadan. For her insistence on Western liberal values aligning to her faith, she is charged with disrespect and self-hate. She insists that the faithful must embrace and survive modern challenges to survive; that is the criteria for legitimacy that a global generation requires.

But since publishing and speaking about Islam’s relationship to the Western world (and vice versa), the nature of that risk has changed. Her home includes a top-notch security system and bullet proof windows. Death threats come in regularly - though mundanely by e-mail - from around the world and from within her own city.

“A book is worth more than a life,” Salman Rushdie once told her, providing the final push to write her controversial bestseller, The Trouble with Islam Today.

She speaks freely and often, with engagements in over a dozen countries per year. A new documentary, Faith without Fear, follows Irshad at home with her Mom and in dialogue with Muslims around the world. In Canada, she mentors students in human rights and public policy at the Pierre Trudeau Foundation in Montreal. Last year she lectured at Yale University; and this year she is creating a curriculum with NYU at the Wagner School of Public Leadership. Her foundation, Project Ijtihad, encourages young Muslims to engage in thoughtful debate about Islam, and to lead a global reformation of the faith.

While North American militaries are fully engaged in Islamic nations of the Middle East, Irshad’s talk is serious, her work is serious and there are, of course, serious reactions. So it is lucky for all of us that she’s got a wicked sense of humour. Her new documentary, for example, shows Irshad trying on a full burqa with the help of an Afghan tailor. “You know, I have always wanted someone to dress me,” she remarks dryly. Her comment escapes him and he removes her glasses in order to cover her face with a black veil. “Talk about blind faith,” she says, giving him a friendly nudge. He smiles and nods, though it’s hard to know if he understands.

Born in Uganda, Irshad Manji and her family were among thousands forced into exile by the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin after 1970. She was four years old when the Manji family landed in the mildest part of Canada, Richmond British Columbia. Irshad attended public school along with the traditional Islamic madrassah, where an inherent gender bias and a few anti-Semitic teachers did not sit well with the girl from upscale and ethnically diverse Richmond.

Two very strong personality traits developed in those early years – a love of liberal democracy, and an insatiable desire to question the world around her. She quit her formal Islamic studies at the age of fourteen. Her mother, a guiding force and mentor throughout her life, was horrified by supportive.

At 22 years old, Irshad completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts, majoring in intellectual history, at the University of British Columbia. She worked for her local Member of Parliament, following her to Ottawa as a legislative assistant. She was a speechwriter for the New Democratic Party and then a national affairs columnist at the Ottawa Citizen – “the youngest member of an editorial board for any Canadian daily” at the age of 24. Two years later she published her first book, Risking Utopia. She made the shift from publishing to television, hosting several programs and engaging in public debate with well-known conservative figures like Michael Coren. Between 1997 and 2001, Irshad co-produced the Gemini-nominated series QT: QueerTelevision with media giant Moses Znaimer, among others. It was Znaimer who re-opened her personal challenge to the Muslim faith by demanding to know how she as a Muslim could condone practices of stoning. After leaving the program she embarked on a quest for knowledge, eventually coming up with Trouble, subtitled A Muslim’s Call for Reform in her Faith.

Her role models, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, have taught her to be unafraid of ruffling feathers within her own community, a message she passes on in her public engagements and on her blog, IrshadManji.com. She is connected to an international network of academics and activists, and delivers free online translations if her work within censored nations. The feedback from young Muslims has been encouraging.

“You know,” she says suddenly, as we stroll down a quiet Toronto street, “Not every little event or article seems important, but when you do have the chance to reach a large audience, it is an amazing feeling. It is a really incredible thing.” With that thought her energy returns and we say goodbye. She is already thinking of the next talk, the next chance, and the next audience she hopes to inspire.

Anna Porter: Publishing Political

If you are jailed as a political prisoner at the age of 6, escape on foot from a totalitarian state, attend Catholic boarding school in a foreign language, and scrub toilets at a mental hospital to pay for your higher education, you may be tough enough for the world of publishing, considers Anna Porter. These experiences, among others, certainly helped her to prepare for a successful stint as CEO and founder of Key Porter Books, and are also behind her recent foray into non-fiction.

The newly released Kasztner's Train, is an engaging, thoroughly-researched work of non-fiction, and Anna's 7th book. It is an examination of personal courage in a time of overwhelming moral ambiguity.. The subject matter is weighty and sobering – sentiments that are evident in her voice as she explains the final processes.

"I have tried so hard with this book," she says, "I don't think I have ever tried this hard at anything in my professional life. This book is so important. The questions raised here are timeless – what does a moral person do when faced with injustice? What are we doing about the genocide in Darfur? These are timeless issues, unfortunately. "

Anna moved to New Zealand in 1956 to escape the Hungarian revolution, after living under its increasingly tense and brutal foreshadowing. The family's first attempt to escape the country landed both six-year old Anna and her mother in prison for a few months. Anna was 12 years old when her family successfully walked out of their country.

A Catholic boarding school in New Zealand, administered by nuns, accepted her as their only refugee student. She learned the English language and some semblance of religious training through an unpleasant immersion. At 18 she left the convent school to attend the University of Canterbury. There she completed Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degrees, both in English Literature. She loved poetry and hers was published in Hungary at a young age.

While a university student, Anna worked first as a maid in a mental hospital and then at a bookstore, owned by a publishing company in New Zealand. Her first job was as a proofreader. She then moved to England and worked in marketing and sales for a larger publishing house, which would prompt a trip to Canada.

She never meant to stay in Toronto, but it has been a successful stint. It was here that she assumed her first editorial role, with McClelland & Stewart at the age of 25. Here she also met her husband to be - a lawyer who, after seeing her photograph on the society pages of Toronto Life magazine, called her repeatedly (even providing references!) until she consented to meet for a coffee. She also became very close to publisher Jack McClelland; an influence and mentor to her throughout her career.

In her first ten years of Canadian life she became president and publisher of Seal Books, a company partially founded by McClelland & Stewart. Like her mentor and friend Jack, Anna developed close relationships with Canadian authors, most of whom remain her friends today. By 1979, Anna knew every facet of the industry and was at ease when launching her own business, Key Porter Books.

Her most recent book, Kasztner's Train, required Anna to read over 300 books in 3 languages, find and read primary documents, and to travel all over the world for interviews. The film rights have been bought, and she is working on 100 additional footnotes for the American release. Anna is convinced that she is more familiar with the subject of her book than anyone in the world, including his own family. That subject is Rezso Kasztner, who directly negotiated for the lives of 1684 Jewish Europeans, and saved an additional 20 000 more during the Holocaust. Like many issues surrounding the topic of genocide, the means and extent to which Kasztner acted is controversial. Anna is convinced that he is a hero. But she is ready for the acclaim and accusations that will come.

Her own dedication to personal ethics is evident in the grand array of Canadian associations with whom she is involved. Soulpepper Theatre, Schulich School of Business, World Wildlife Fund and PEN Canada continue to benefit from her input and intellect. In 1992, Anna Porter was awarded the Order of Canada for her efforts to promote Canadian literary talent abroad. She has been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees from Ryerson University, St, Mary's University, and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Published Women's Post, October 5 2007

End of Summer Fun at the Bargain Hunter's Picnic

The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation was centre stage on Sunday, Aug. 26 at the 1st Annual Bargain Hunter's Picnic in Toronto. The event brought together over 500 loyal readers of Canada's largest online bargain-hunting community, RedFlagDeals.com. A coupon-crazy crowd waited at the gates of Varsity Stadium while the final touches for the massive event were still underway. Despite the disappointment of an inexplicable "no-show" by the company hired to provide bouncy castles and cotton candy for the kids, the event was a success. Benjamin Clost and his band, The Mariners, pleased the crowd with their soulful cover tunes while DJ company Sights 'n' Sounds kept the mood upbeat. In the beautiful afternoon sunshine, dozens of energetic children enjoyed free kites, frisbees, board games, and footballs while the majority of the crowd, fanatical fans of RedFlagDeals.com, enjoyed meeting each other for the first time in real life. A gourmet barbeque meal was served and gift bags handed out to donors.

Derek Szeto, President of RedFlagDeals.com, hosted the event in appreciation of its active online community and as a chance to raise awareness for a good cause. Sponsors included 7th Stage Productions, Men's Power Spa, Ice.com, Steam Whistle Brewery, Listerine, BBQ Catering and, of course, the Women's Post.

Published Women's Post, September 7 2007

Remembering Philanthropist Bluma Appel

This summer, in a trademark show of generosity, Bluma Appel donated $350,000 and assisted in raising an additional $170,000 toward the University of Toronto Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing's state-of-the-art Clinical Simula-tion Learning Laboratory.

Ms. Appel was honoured for that gift at an intimate cocktail reception in June, hosted by the dean of the faculty, Professor Siobhan Nelson. Guests were able to wander through the learning lab – which is unique in Canada – and offers nurses hands-on training in infectious diseases, among other conditions. Rubber mannequins lay prone on hospital beds, their chests raising and falling with imitation breath while beeping monitors signaled their make-believe pulses. Almost every person in attendance had kind words and praise for Ms. Appel, who sat close to her husband while friends and admirers drew near. It was the last in a number of historic contributions made by Ms. Appel to the Canadian social and political scene. The founder of CANFAR and a life-long patron of the arts, she was awarded the Order of Canada twice, the Order of Ontario, a Dora Award, and two Honourary Doctorates.

Bluma Appel died on July 15 at the age of 86.

Published Women's Post, August 24 2007

Jill Barber's sweet tune of success

Jill Barber has won several music awards, filmed two videos for MuchMusic, recorded a duet with Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy, and receives performance requests from all over North America. She has been swept off her feet by the CBC, recently released a second full-length album, and will embark on a European tour this fall. Yet the 27-year-old singer songwriter still gets a little nervous in front of her home-town crowd in Toronto.

She is the rare sort of artist to whom the industry, as much as the music, seems to come naturally. Soon after moving to Halifax at the age of 22, with little more than an undergraduate degree, summer romance, and passion for music, Jill's career took off. The day of this interview finds her running between an appointment with her stylist, an interview with CBC's Jian Ghomeshi, and several live performances. Yet she is relaxed and low-key, ready for a small drink and a long chat on a Queen West patio.

On the walk toward refreshment, we pass Victor Syperek, a well known club-owner from Halifax, and some others from the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records (FACTOR), which, along with MuchMoreMusic, are responsible for funding her latest music video. The FACTOR group is welcoming and familiar. Though Halifax has clearly been a career catalyst and spiritual home for the artist, for Jill it was like starting over.

"I started playing at open mic shows and coffee houses when I was 16," she explains, "As a student in Kingston I played sold-out shows and people knew who I was." The small town loved Jill's unique blend of lyricism and folksy, jazz-influenced vocals. While earning her BA in philosophy at Queen's University, she was playing and promoting sold-out gigs. The summer after graduation, she embarked on the all-Canadian 20-something journey and went tree planting. There, she met the man who lured her to the East Coast.

"It had a happy ending, though" she says ruefully, on stage at a recent Toronto concert, "Well, it ended and I'm happy."

Although the romance that brought her to Halifax was short-lived, it was the first of many risky-but-calculated decisions which ultimately paid off. Upon moving, Jill began an unpaid internship with a local indie newspaper, The Coast. Known as the hipster-cum-activist rag around town, it was the perfect place to connect with the local music and entertainment scene. The internship quickly became a paid position, granting her instant access to every event in the city.

"When I moved to Halifax, I was following my boyfriend, not my career. I didn't know anyone. But I found an amazing community of artists and felt at home immediately. Ontario is the home I was given, but Halifax is the home that I chose."
It is the best sort of irony that, while at work in the depths of the accounting department for The Coast, a major source of entertainment information, Jill Barber was quietly recording an album that would earn her a place on the national stage. A few years after working at the newspaper, she would be featured on the cover. Twice, she was voted by Coast readers as Best Local Female Artist – quite the honour for one born in Port Credit, Ontario.

Although she left her fans, friends, and family in Ontario, she did bring a little piece of Kingston to Halifax, in the form of an EP that she had recorded in her dorm room. While working at The Coast, she dusted it off, cleaned it up a bit, and sent it into Atlantic Airwaves, a local CBC Radio show. Fate, it seemed, conspired to put it in the hands of a producer. She was soon performing as a guest on the show, and soon enough – "like a bit of a Cinderella" – her first full length album, Oh, Heart, was recorded in 2004 with the help of CBC studios, funding, and talent.

For a few years after, she played repeated shows around the Maritimes, teaming up with other young Canadian talent like Ron Sexsmith and Jim Bryson. She feels more at home on stage than anywhere else, so it should be no surprise that the logistics of managing a music career came just as naturally.

"I don't think people realize that the music industry is very entrepreneurial," she says. "The same skills you need to run a business are required in this industry, especially if you are the primary player. You need to have solid leadership skills and the ability, especially when on tour with friends and colleagues, to separate work time from play time. You also need to bring a good team to play."

Her second album, For All Time, has a distinctly different sound than the first. The album is a little more country-influenced, with slower melodies and more secretive lyrics. Her most personal expressions, the weight of all her savings, and a bank loan are riding on this most recent album. But the girl who believes that "one should always have a good book on the go" is not bothered. Early 2006 granted her two East Coast Music Awards and a schedule of back-to-back tours. This summer alone she played in the Yukon, Nova Scotia, and all parts in between. Her dusky, wise, and sentimental song style will also be featured on a series of CBC recordings called East Coast Sessions.

Her music resonates with many – musicians, writers, lovers, students, well-heeled professionals, hippies to hipsters. Self-taught, seemingly immune from the acclaim, and ever-grateful for the support, she stands in her flowered dress and cowboy boots under a single spotlight. Watching her perform, you can feel that Jill Barber is playing it by heart.

About Town and Around the World: Ladies at Lunch

Women in Film and Television (WIFT) held its international summit in Toronto last month, highlighting homegrown talent among an impressive array of industry professionals. WIFT is designed to encourage and support the work of women, and men, in screen-based media.

The summit provided an excellent opportunity for Canadian filmmakers and producers to network with other industry leaders, as well as a chance to show off some impressive exports. Among those who gave the Canadians bragging rights were Academy Award and Genie Award winner Torill Kove (The Danish Poet) and Genie Award winner Deepa Mehta (Water), both of whom were awarded Outstanding International Achievement Awards during a posh gala luncheon at the Park Hyatt Hotel. While the gala luncheon was a highly anticipated event for summit delegates, the general public also leapt at the chance to be in the presence of these controversial and compelling women. Every ticket available to the public was scooped up at a mere $215 each.

"We are very excited about presenting this important event," said Sue Sheridan, Executive Director of WIFT-Toronto. "In a global marketplace, it is essential for women and men in screen-based media to network, forge new partnerships, and learn from the experiences of colleagues in other parts of the world."

Another delicious event took place last month when celebrity chef Christine Cushing showed off her skills and skillet on July 11 for a Pre-Bastille Day cocktail event at the Alliance Francaise. World renowned cookware brand T-fal was the generous sponsor of this exclusive event. Cushing provided scrumptious pairings of French cuisine and wine while Xavier Sabourin, vice president of T-fal, showed us why the "Made in France" cookware is reason enough for a Fête nationale. While the food, wine and joie de vivre were intoxicating, Cushing proved herself to be an inspiration. Trained at George Brown college and the Paris-based École de Cuisine La Varenne, she has launched a catering business, hosted a live show on the Food Network, written three best-selling cookbooks, and now runs her own line of food products called "Pure." She volunteers her spare time to terminally ill children through the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.

Published Women's Post, August 10 2007

The Competitive Advantage in Going Green

The Canadian government is showing concern for the environment in every province, with incentives for both residents and corporations. Aside from providing the next generation a world to live in, though, businesses and consumers are getting warm fuzzy feelings from what has now become a real market trend – going green. Consumers of this era are the savviest and most ethically driven that North American materialism has ever witnessed; they crave responsible yet indulgent consumption, while governments and businesses are fighting hard for their approval. Hence the rash of tax breaks and charitable donations that come tied to marketing campaigns and publicity stunts.

Where better to witness the madness of marketing, the struggle for ethical business, and the resulting win-win situation for all levels of Canadian citizenry than the business capital of Canada, Toronto? This week I got the scoop on a few of the organizations providing top debates and successful schemes.

For instance, on June 21 the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters celebrated its 75th anniversary gala with a theme of "Greening Your Business – The New Competitive Advantage." The event was held at the Liberty Grand and speakers included James H. Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada Inc. and Judith E. McKay, chief administrative officer & general counsel for DuPont Canada.

On June 26, just days after Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty promised 88 million dollars toward Home Energy Retrofit and Solar Power Initiatives, another corporate-to-consumer event was held on the subject of eco-friendly business. Discussing the marketing merits of hopping on the fuel-efficient bandwagon were Renee L'Abbe (Creative Research Unit), Jen Evans (Sequentia Communications), Adrian Capobianco (Fuse Marketing) and Kaileen Millard (NPD Group) at the Fashion Group International seminar, "Harnessing the Power of the Modern Consumer."

Published in the Women's Post, July 6 2007

Canadian Women of Courage

When Winnie Mandela was denied an entrance visa to Canada recently, it made international headlines. For a small group of artists and social activists in Toronto, however, it was a very personal disappointment. On June 6, Mandela and her daughter, Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, were the guests of honour at a private dinner celebrating "the spirit of women with passion, courage and influence," along with noted Canadian journalist, author, and rabble-rouser Irshad Manji, in Toronto. The dinner also marked the opening of an opera entitled The Passion of Winnie, composed by Bongani Ndodana-Breen and performed as part of the recent Luminato festival. It was hosted by Women's Post and Finer Foods Limited.

Despite her absence, or perhaps in some measure because of it, the dinner party was an extremely intimate affair. Actor and activist LeVar Burton took her place, as he had done the previous night when addressing the premiere audience of the opera. During the dinner, roughly 25 guests were captivated while both Burton and Manji spoke eloquently on the subject of courage, both political and private. A beautiful piece from Bongani's opera was performed by its leading lady, who charmingly interrupted herself mid-song to describe the scene.The evening was in large part about voice.

Chef Ray Bear flew in directly from Halifax with Clearwater lobster for the event. At the pre-dinner cocktail reception, under the dying sunlight on a private terrace in Rosedale, the discussion centered on a woman and a country half a world away, but in abstract terms only. Courage, they said, does not recognize justice – only injustice, wherever it may be.

Another kind of courage was celebrated recently as well. The White Ribbon Campaign is hailed as the "largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women." The annual fundraising concert drew a healthy number of Canadian alt-rock and folksy talent to the stage of The Phoenix Club. In a bizarre turn-around, host Jian Ghomeshi looked better than he sounded, as he stumbled and rambled through some very poignant sentiments. Performers including Ron Sexsmith, Jim Bryson, Jill Barber, and Melanie Doane sang tunes by Neil Young. The hip venue and clever promotional material, along with an extremely dedicated set of volunteers, helped to raise awareness and money for a very worthy cause. Strangely though, the VIP room was empty. Sometimes the most important of causes can also be the least glamorous.

Published in the Women's Post, June 22 2007

2007 Genie Awards, Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame

Canadian talent swept over Toronto in a flurry of awards and posh receptions last week.

The Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame [CSHF] paid tribute to legend Joni Mitchell when she was honoured at the 4th Annual CSHF Gala on Jan. 28 Performances by James Taylor, Jim Cuddy, Chaka Khan and Measha Brueggergosman (among others) were impressive and inspired, even to an audience made up mostly of other musicians. Yet among the glittering starlets and copious cocktails there was one subject on everyone’s lips with reverence and awe: the music of Joni Mitchell and Jean-Pierre Ferland. Some of the songs honoured were Woodstock and Both Sides Now, both by Mitchell, and Je Reviens Chez Nous by Ferland. Local music junkie and CBC hipster Jian Ghomeshi was among the guests at the pre-award reception.

The Genie Awards were held at The Carlu on Tuesday, Feb. 13 to celebrate the best in Canadian film. Actors Roy Dupuis and Patrick Huard were the centre of attention at the gala party, attracting many with their charming smiles and newly-won accessories. Dupuis, who played hockey legend Maurice Richard in the movie The Rocket won the Genie for leading actor; just one of the nine awards given to that film.

Meanwhile, the other handsome Quebecois star and funnyman Patrick Huard celebrated as his film Bon Cop, Bad Cop took home the prize for best
motion picture. It was truly a French-Canadian evening as Robert Favreau and Gil Courtemanche were honored for best screenplay adaptation; a version of the haunting and heart wrenching novel by Courtemanche, A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali, a work that has also been awarded several literary prizes, including the Governor General’s Literary Award. The Danish Poet, which has also been nominated for an academy award in the USA, was honored with the Genie for best animated short. Creator Torill Kove, another Montreal native, is no stranger to this sort of attention; her previous animated film was also nominated for an Oscar and Genie.

Published in The Women's Post, February 27, 2007