Irshad Manji on "The Trouble with Islam"

I was listening to NPR and Irshad Manji, author of "The Trouble with Islam" came on to the Brian Lehrer (?) show. The woman is really quite eloquent... Wish I could be this articulate. Now  (after several years in the States) I'm neither in German nor in English.
Anyway, her book has been called the non-fiction version of the "Satanic Verses"!?! Why? Because it contains criticism for Islam or the way it is sometimes lived? Is criticism not allowed? At this point I should probably mention that I was raised Islamic. Yes, and Austrian Muslim... you can imagine the joy of growing up Muslim in a country that's 98% Catholic.  Actually, today I would probably call myself Agnostic. I just don't want to be a hypocrite. I don't practice Islam....except for the basic morals, which are part of every religion (i.e. try to be a good person). Maybe one day, I'll get back to it. When I have more time to study it.
Anyway, Manji's response to the comparison of her book to "The Satanic Verses" was somewhat shocked. Who are these people, she wonders. Are these the same people who condemned the Satanic Verses without even reading the book? 550 pages, she says, and there are maybe 5 pages of controversial content. Anyway, it's fiction...
I have Manji's book "The Trouble with Islam" but as most of my books it remains half-read.
I don't know why I seem to incapable to finish a book. Maybe it's because I'm a slow reader (in English, that is)...maybe because I don't have enough uninterrupted time... I don't know.
Ironically, I just joined a bookclub. Hopefully they won't kick me out for not finishing our reading assignments. I just joined to have an excuse to get out the house, hang out and chat with a bunch of girls.
At our last meeting we spoke ca. 20 minutes about the book (Michael Moore's latest) and then went on for about 2 hours talking about sex (best, worst, tips, suggestions, etc.)  ;)
Come to think of it,...I should be reading RIGHT NOW. Noam Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival". His stuff is really interesting but I am so fucking slow.