Immigration Law

IMMIGRANT OF THE DAY: IRSHAD MANJI - ACTIVIST

By Greg Siskind

Today's New York Times has an opinion piece by activist Irshad Manji that caught my attention. Ms. Manji writes about her experience on October 31, 1972 when the family arrived for entry as refugees in Montreal. They were fleeing Uganda after Idi Amin decided to kick out the Indians who had helped over generations to build up the economy of the central African country. The piece talks about the kindness of an immigration inspector who left an impression so strong on the family that decades later they still remember the woman fondly.

The inspector saw that the family was terrified about being turned away and instead of treating the newcomers with suspicion and as a burden, the officer talked with the family and helped them realize that they would be smarter choosing a different part of the country where they would likely be happier:

I've seen Ms. Manji on the always witty show Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO and so was somewhat familiar with her work promoting the reform of her Islamic faith. She is the director of the Moral Courage Project at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and the author of the best-selling book "The Troubel With Islam Today".

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on October 31, 2008 (boomark / email).