Sayyid Al-Qemany

Sayyid Al-Qemany
Born (1947-03-13) March 13, 1947
Al-Wasta, Beni Suef, Egypt
Occupation Academic writer, thinker
Nationality Egypt
Education Bachelor in philosophy

Sayyid Al-Qemany (Arabic: سيد محمد القمني‎‎, also al-Qimni, born March 13, 1947 in Beni Suef) is an Egyptian secular writer and thinker. His works emphasize the importance of critical thinking, and he is an opponent of Islamic fundamentalism, supporting separation of religion and state, and tolerance. In 2009, he won the Egyptian Culture Ministry's prize for achievement in the social sciences, a cash award of 200,000 Egyptian pounds (about $US36,000).[1][2] A judicial and media campaign was launched calling for the prize to be withdrawn[3] by those who claimed Al-Qemany was a heretic who has harmed Islam and Muslims with his writings.[1][2]

Views and opinions

Al-Qemany views the Koran as more than religious scripture and contends that it is legitimate to study it from a historical perspective using the same scientific tools and criteria that are employed for other disciplines.[4]

Criticism

Former Egyptian mufti Nasr Farid Wasilo called the decision to award Al-Qimni the prize "a crime against Egypt's Muslim identity."[2] The Islamic association Jabhat 'Ulama Al-Azhar stated that Al-Qimni "has openly blasphemed in a manner that does not lend itself to [any other] interpretation." The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya also attacked Sayyed Al-Qimni[3] Dar Al-Ifta, Egypt's official fatwa-issuing body, headed by Chief Mufti Dr. 'Ali Gomaa issued a fatwa stating in part:

"The Muslims [believe] unanimously that whoever curses the Prophet or slanders Islam removes himself from the fold of Islam and [from the community] of Muslims, and deserves punishment in this world and torment in the world to come... The statements [from Al-Qimni's writings] quoted by the [individual] who requested the fatwa are heretical, regardless of who wrote them; they remove their author from the fold of Islam... and [also] constitute a crime according to Article 98 of [Egypt's] penal code. If these depraved, loathsome, and invalid statements were indeed made by a specific individual, then this individual should be convicted rather than awarded a prize, and punished to the full extent of the law..."[2][5]

Shiekh Youssef Al Badri accused him of "deconstructing Islam using eloquent sugar-coated attacks [...] more fatal than Salman Rushdie".[1] Al-Qemany replied that Badri was accusing him of atheism. "Islamic scholars do not want the Muslim to use his God-given brain! They want a submissive and obedient Muslim who refers to them in the slightest details of his life."[1]

Egyptian liberals came to Al-Qimni's defense and called on the government to defend him against accusations of heresy "which are tantamount to incitement to murder."[6][7] Human rights activists, academics, and journalists issued a petition of solidarity with him.[2]

Books

Awards and recognition

Egypt State Award of Merit Prize in the social sciences for the year 2009, which is Egypt’s highest cultural award.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Egypt: The Egyptian Apostate" Global Voices, July 15th, 2009, accessed 23-September 2009
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dispute over Granting of State Award to Egyptian Liberal Sayyed Al-Qimni. By: L. Azuri September 22, 2009. accessed 23-September 2009
  3. 1 2 Egyptians protest award to controversial writer alarabiya.net, 13 July 2009. accessed 23-September 2009
  4. ↑ Awarding Islam's Challenger
  5. ↑ http://www.dar-alifta.org, July 9, 2009.
  6. ↑ Al-Shurouq (Egypt), July 16, 2009
  7. ↑ Al-Misriyoun (Egypt), July 17, 2009
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