Paper Summary:
This presentation will examine how blogging can be used as a tool for media and community activism. It examines a number of examples where blogging has been used as a training ground for converting activists into writers with a view to enabling changes in social attitudes toward unpopular and unconventional groups and ideas.
Presenter Profile:
Irfan Yusuf is a 36 year old Sydney-based industrial relations and human rights lawyer. He is also an occasional lecturer in the School of Politics & International Relations at Macquarie University.
From humble beginnings of writing in small community-based publications at age 16 until he was forced to take time from lawyering in February 2002, Irfan’s writing was largely limited to small ethno-religious based publications.
In February 2003, Irfan published his first online article in the progressive Muslim website MuslimWakeUp!. Since that time, he became an almost regular contributor to the site.
Irfan’s work has also featured on other North American and Middle-East-based Muslim websites, including NaseebVibes, The American Muslim and Arab World Books.
Irfan started writing his first blog, Planet Irf, in July 2002. His passion for writing and blogging really took off after he co-authored a piece for the Ramadan diary of MWU. Since then, he has built up a stable of five full-time blogs and one seasonal blog. Irfan also contributes to the Ihsan blog which has over 25 contributors from all shades of Sufi and Muslim opinion.
Since April 2005, he has also been publishing commentary and opinion pieces in mainstream newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. His pieces cover a broad range of topics including: religion and spirituality, gender relations, international relations, conservative politics and legal issues. Irfan’s articles have appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, Canberra Times, Brisbane Courier-Mail, New Zealand Herald, Dominion-Post and The Press.
Despite a long history in Australian conservative politics, Irfan’s blogging and writing pursuits have offended conservative Parliamentarians. He was even named in Federal Parliament after offending one prominent conservative MP. Irfan’s blogging has also landed him spots on community and mainstream radio.
Irfan is also a columnist for a number of news and commentary websites including www.NewMatilda.com, www.altmuslim.com, www.WebDiary.com.au and www.OnlineOpinion.com.au. His blog entries have also been cited regularly in the Australian e-zine www.Crikey.com.au.
As a confirmed addict of American humorist PJ O’Rourke (though more likely as a means to avoid defamation proceedings), Irfan’s preferred writing genre is humour and satire.