Date of source:
Background:
Dr. Muḥammad Saʿīd al-ʿAshmāwī (1932 – 7.11.2013) was an Egyptian Supreme Court judge and former head of the Court of State Security. He was a specialist in comparative and Islamic Law at Cairo University and is often described as “one of the most influential liberal Islamic thinkers...
Date of source: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The author of the article, Dr. Wā’il ‘Azīz, discusses religious freedom versus freedom of expression. He calls on Muslims to acknowledge the achievements of all Muslim scholars and intellectuals, and asserts that no one has the right to issue fatwás of Takfīr against anyone unless they publicly...
Date of source: Monday, November 6, 2006
Chancellor
Sa‘īd al-‘Ashmāwī complains about the lift of his police protection to
the Ministry of Interior.
Date of source: Saturday, February 16, 2002
Religious laws do not determine or command the formation of a nation in a political sense. The concept of political nation, as understood today, is not mentioned in the Qur’an. After the reign of the Orthodox Caliphs, people who wanted power and authority started using Qur’anic verses to find a...
Date of source: Saturday, February 9, 2002
The origin of religion is that it connects humanity with divinity and links humankind with the universe. Religion requires certain rituals. Most people perform those rituals as if they are ends, rather than being a means to an end, which is connecting the human to the divine. Religiosity is not...
Date of source: Saturday, February 2, 2002
The English word “secularism” was incorrectly translated into Arabic as “ilmaniya” while it should be “almaniya.” The first is derived from “ilm” which means “science” and thus indicated a contradiction between religion and science –which is not true. The latter is derived from “alam” which means “...