Project Ijtihad (Irshad Manji)

				Ijtihad (pronounced “ij-tee-had”) is Islam’s own tradition of independent thinking. In the early centuries of Islam, thanks to the spirit of ijtihad, 135 schools of thought thrived. Inspired by ijtihad, Muslims gave the world inventions from the astrolabe to the university. So much of what we consider "western" pop culture came from Muslims: the guitar, mocha coffee, even the ultra-Spanish expression "Ole!" (which has its root in the Arabic word for God, "Allah").

				Irshad explains Project Ijtihad to Mark Frazier & Leif Smith, 21 May 06

				Project Ijtihad is the the foundation I’ve launched to develop the world’s first leadership network for reform-minded Muslims. The radio interview that Leif linked to below is more than a year old — and much has happened in that time. I’m putting the final touches on a PBS documentary about Islamic reform that will air next year. I’m researching my next book. But most importantly: In the coming months, a dedicated website for PI will be created. We’ll certainly provide incentives for young Muslims and non-Muslims to engage with each other — but more than just a bridge-building exercise, this website will kick it up a notch with taboo-busting content. For example, we want to host online debates about such touchy yet relevant subjects as whether Muslim women can marry non-Muslim men, whether Islam can be reconciled with homosexuality, etc. Along with the debate itself, we’ll have the debaters post their sources and recommendations for further reading, so that those who are serious about reviving ijtihad in Islam have a place to argue, reflect, thinking, learn, analyze and argue some more. Eventually, we hope to make this site such an educational goldmine that we’ll be able to partner with various schools, colleges, and universities to offer online courses about Islamic reform. Currently, that’s inconceivable. Project Ijtihad aims to change that.