Sami Awad Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh, born September 5, 1949 in Zababdeh, near Jenin in West Bank is a lawyer, Christian of Palestinian origin and Swiss[1]
He was the head of the Arab and Islamic Law in the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law from 1980 to 2009. He directs the Center of Arab and Islamic law and teaches in various universities in Switzerland, France and Italy.
He is the author of many books and articles on Arab and Islamic law. He published in 2008 a bilingual edition of the Koran (Arabic - French) classifying the chapters in chronological order according to Al-Azhar, with reference to variations, abrogations and Jewish and Christian writings (see the publications)). He is currently preparing a similar edition in Italian and English. He also translated the Swiss constitution in Arabic for the Confederation.
Contents |
Born to a Chrsitian peasant family, in Zababdeh, near Jenin, he attended primary school in his village (1956–61) before joining the Minor Seminary of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Beit-Jala, near Bethlehem (1961–65). He left four years later to go to study as tailor in the Salesian Technical School of Bethlehem (1965–1968). Then he practiced his profession in Jenin and at the same time worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross. In 1970 he did his literary maturity in Jenin as autodidact and obtained a scholarship from the Work St. Justin in Fribourg to study in Switzerland. He received his law degree at the University of Freiburg in April 1974 with cum laude, and enrolled simultaneously for a doctorate in law in Freiburg and political science at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. In January 1976, he graduated in political science at Geneva with honors. His dissertation topic was titled: "Le droit des peuples à disposer d'eux-mêmes, étude analytique de la doctrine marxiste-léniniste et de la position soviétique" (see the publications)). Then he spent one year in Egypt to search for his doctoral thesis entitled "L'impact de la religion sur l'ordre juridique, cas de l'Égypte, non-musulmans en pays d'Islam" (see the publications)). He defended his thesis in December 1978 at the Faculty of Law of Fribourg with summa cum laude. The promotion took place after the publication of the thesis 14 November 1979. He received a grant from the Work St. Justin in Fribourg (1970–1977) and a grant from the Swiss Confederation (1977–1979).
During his stay in Egypt (1976–77), he interviewed forty Egyptian personalities, and intends to publish these interviews in the near future.
He was federal servant in the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law in Lausanne from November 1, 1980 to December 31, 2009, as head of Arab and Islamic law. As part of his work, he wrote hundreds of legal opinions for Swiss and foreign authorities, courts, lawyers, entreprises and private persons in the fields of family law, inheiritence, criminal law and commercial law. Through his travels in the Arab countries, he created for the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law the best collection of Arab and Muslim Law in Western Europe.
During his work with the Confederation, he traveled in the following countries, to buy books and maintain contacts with law schools and research centers: Morocco (4 times), Algeria (2 times), Tunisia (5 times), Libya (3 times), Egypt (9 times), Sudan (1 time), Jordan (4 times), Lebanon (2 times), Syria (3 times), Iraq (1 time), Iran (1 times), Bahrain (2 times), Kuwait (2 times), United Arab Emirates (2 times), Oman (2 times), Palestine / Israel (7 times), South Yemen (1 time), North Yemen (2 times), Qatar (1 time), Saudi Arabia (2 times).
In May 2009, he opened his own Center of Arab and Islamic law. The Centre offers the following services: legal consultations, conferences, translations, research and courses concerning Arab and Islamic Law, and the relation between Muslims and the West, assistance for students and researchers. On June 29, 2009, he received his Habilitation to supervise research (HDR) from the University of Bordeaux 3. In February 2010, he qualified as Professor of universities, granted by the CNU, in sections 1 (private law) and 15 (Arabic). Naturalized Swiss May 11, 1984. He is married with two daughters.
Sami Aldeeb taught Arab and Islamic Law in various Universities; Institute of Canon Law of Strasbourg (1985–1991), Faculty of Law and Political Science of Aix-en-Provence (since 2005), Faculty of Law of Palermo (since 2007), CERISDI of Palermo (since 2007), International Faculty of Comparative Law in Strasbourg (since 2007), Faculty of Law of Trento (since 2010), Faculty of Law of Cergy-Pontoise (since 2010), Faculty of Law of Grenoble (since 2010), Faculty of Theology of Lugano (since 2011). He has also given hundreds of lectures in different countries. You find the list in his Curriculum vitae.
November 15, 1981 Price Vigener of Fribourg Faculty of Law for his doctoral thesis
November 21, 2009 Elected Academician of "Studium - Accademia di Casale Monferrato e per l'Arte del, the Letteratura the Storia, the e Scienze the Umanità Varies."
Sami Aldeeb considers himself as Christian. However, he does not accept the revelation in its traditional. He considers the revelation not as "the word of God to man" but "the word of man about God". He is secular, struggles for human rights and against male and female circumcision, ritual slaughter, religious cemeteries, death penalty and violence, issues around which revolve his writings and lectures (see the publications). He is in favor of one democratic and secular State in Palestine / Israel. He recognises neither the State of Israel nor the state of Palestine that he considers as discriminatory entities. He believes that the Koran was written by a rabbi.[2] He took a stand against the construction of minarets in Switzerland, saying the Constitution guarantees the right to pray and not to shout.[3]
Sami Aldeeb is a prolific author. His publications consist of about thirty books and more than 200 articles on Arab and Islamic Law, in different languages whose list can be found in Curriculum vitae. Some of his publications are free available on his website: www.sami-aldeeb.com and on Scribd.com. Here is the list of his books: