Thursday, March 06, 2003

By: Stephanie L. Kirby, PR Intern

WILMINGTON, NC – Self-proclaimed “queer activist” Irshad Manji will present “Taking Opportunity from Oppression” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, in Cameron Hall Auditorium. This free, public event is part of the university’s Women’s History Month celebration.

Manji is author of An Open Letter to Muslims Worldwide (2003) and Risking Utopia: On the Edge of a New Democracy (1997). She is also president of VERB, a Canadian TV channel developed to engage young people in issues of global diversity. In her talk, Manji's will address ways that oppression can be used as a tool of individual and community empowerment rather than victimization.

Born in East Africa, Manji studied at the University of British Columbia and became the first humanities student to win the Governor General's Gold Medal, which is given to the top graduate. Based in Toronto, Canada, Manji leads gay and lesbian pride parades, Islamic reform initiatives, Jewish discussions and character education for young people.

In An Open Letter to Muslims Worldwide, Manji explores why and how the Muslim world can move beyond anti-Semitism to embrace diversity. Risking Utopia: On the Edge of a New Democracy chronicles how young people are putting “hip” back into “citizenship.” This work has inspired school courses and book clubs as far away as Hong Kong.



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For more information, go to the Web site www.soapboxinc.com/bio_manji.html, or contact Dr. Ervin, director of UNCW’s Women’s Resource Center, at 910/962-3650 or email ervine@uncwil.edu.