Originally posted 2006-09-12 08:24 AM.
Salim Mansur, a long-time friend of this web site and one of our columnists, sheepishly advised me this morning of an honor about to be bestowed on him by the good American Jewish Congress. Well bestowed on him and Salman Rushdie and some other extraordinarily courageous people.
I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our friend Salim Mansur on behalf of all ProudToBeCanadian.ca readers. A well-deserved honor!
Jewish group honours Muslim writers
By RANDY RICHMOND, FREE PRESS REPORTER
A London Muslim commentator is getting one of the highest honours from what, on the surface, is an unlikely source—the American Jewish Congress.
Salim Mansur, a University of Western Ontario professor and Sun Media columnist, heads to Los Angeles this week to receive the Stephen S. Wise Award—joining a list of recipients that includes former U.S. president Harry Truman, former U.S. attorney-general Robert F. Kennedy and former Israeli presidents Golda Meir and David Ben-Gurion.
Mansur will share this year’s honours with controversial and bestselling author Salman Rushdie and fellow writers Nonie Darwish, Tashbih Sayed and Wafa Sultan—all Muslims.
“These are people who show extreme courage, in particular speaking on a particular subject or against a subject,” said Gary Ratner, executive-director of the Western region of the American Jewish Congress.
“In the case of Mr. Mansur, it is his speaking out against radical Islam.”
Named after the founder of the Congress, the awards are not given annually. Rather, they’re awarded only when there are deserving recipients, Ratner said
“We want to encourage people to speak out. We feel there is a vast silent majority of Muslims who want to live under a democracy, to have a dialogue, to be tolerant. We are trying to promote dialogue.”
The fact one of the largest and most politically active Jewish organizations in the United States is awarding Muslim writers doesn’t faze Mansur.
In fact, that’s the point he’s been trying to get across for years, Mansur said yesterday.
“There will never be peace in the world until there is a reconciliation of Christians, Jews and Muslims without any finger pointing or grievances,” Mansur said.
Mansur often writes in support of Israel and against those who would use Islam to promote violence against others.
“The Muslim world is in turmoil and there is no single person speaking for Islam,” he said. “That is the strength of Islam and the weakness.
“The strength is that it is up to the individual conscience as to how to conduct oneself. The weakness is that there is not a centre. Anyone can say they speak for all of Islam and that has led to a political culture that is highly fragmented.”
The American Jewish Congress has followed Mansur’s writing for years, Ratner said.
“We admire what he has done.”
The five recipients are all writers who take a critical look at Islamic issues.
“We are all independent. I am an independent person,” Mansur said.
The awards are to be presented Sunday.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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