Ghost of a flea

The underlying problem with Islam, observes Manji, is that far from spiritualising Arabia, it has been infected with the reactionary prejudices of the Middle East: "Colonialism is not the preserve of people with pink skin. What about Islamic imperialism? Eighty per cent of Muslims live outside the Arab world yet all Muslims must bow to Mecca." Fresh thinking, she contends, is suppressed by ignorant imams; you can see why she has been dubbed "Osama�s worst nightmare".

"The good news," she insists, "is it doesn�t have to be like this." She wants a reformation in Islam, returning it to its clever, fun-loving roots. "The world�s first �feminist� was an 11th-century Muslim man. Baghdad had one of the first universities in the 9th century; the Spanish �Ole!� comes from �Allah�; Islam even gave us the guitar."