Dear Readers, he lived most of his life in his home land, but his work was effective in the entire Arab world … he died secluded in exile in Berlin where he lived the last few years of his life. Sadiq Jalal al-Azm is considered as one of the pioneers of Arab Modernism and an […]
Continue ReadingOn this occasion, I have to admit here that despite my studies of philosophy and Immanuel Kant at the Humboldt University in Berlin, I read Sadiq’s dissertation on Kant’s Theory of Time as one of the black copy books in Damascus – but I never understood it as much as I tried. This immensely increased my respect for the author, of course. But more remarkably, although I was a bit disappointed about myself, it did not matter at all. Not for him, and not for me, because most of the intellectual exchange with him took place orally, in hour-long and night-long conversations, interrupted with witty humour, laughter and human warmth.
Continue ReadingMany of you are here to honour Sadik, the thinker, the public intellectual, the philosopher, and the teacher. Others are here in memory of a friend. I am here to honour my father.
I would like to start by saying that Sadik lived his life as he saw fit. He described his life’s journey as “prolific, full and rich, a journey which I enjoyed tremendously, a life with no regrets”. In other words, he did it his way. Just like the Frank Sinatra song.
Continue Readinghe lived most of his life in his home land, but his work was effective in the entire Arab world … he died secluded in exile in Berlin where he lived the last few years of his life.
Sadiq Jalal al-Azm is considered as one of the pioneers of Arab Modernism and an outstanding scholar of critical thought in the Arab world.
Al-Azm achieved great fame in 1968 and 1969 with the publishing of his works “Self-criticism after the defeat” and “Critique of Religious Thought”, in which he radically attacked central dogmas of political and religious-cultural discourse within Arab society.
we warmly welcome you to this new edition of Minbar Ibn Rushd, our online magazine. Here are our topics:
In December 2015 the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik – SWP) in Berlin published a study entitled “The bitter harvest of the Arab Spring. Transformation, the change of the elite and a new social Mobilization” by Dr. Muriel Asseburg and Heiko Wimmen, now translated into Arabic and reviewed here by Dr. Hamid Fadlalla and Fadia Foda. The article summarises the main points of the study and discusses the development, aftermath and perspective of the Arab Spring revolutions. After this extensive analysis, which examines the dimensions of this wide movement and the regional and international complications, the conclusion reached is that it is a bitter harvest after five years of instability.
Continue ReadingDear readers, we warmly welcome you to this new edition of Minbar Ibn Rushd, our online magazine. Here are our topics: In December 2015 the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik – SWP) in Berlin published a study entitled “The bitter harvest of the Arab Spring. Transformation, the change of […]
Continue ReadingWe are opening the issue with an essay by Rachid Boutayeb from Morocco entitled “The body of the other (towards a post-Islamic subjectivity)”. Islam, he says, being religion, culture and history, has made an important contribution to civilization in all of these aspects. Those, who want to deny this – out of a sense of anger or prejudice or ignorance – will be laying the ground for racist discourse, which contradicts even the fundamental values of democracy. On the other hand, those, who speak about Islam as something absolute, are demanding nothing less than that Islam should enforce its authority. The author recalls that the Koran says that man – every man – is God’s successor (Caliph) on earth. Each of us bears responsibility for life in the world. However, what we see today with the tyrannical rule of the regime in light of the confederacy of religious orthodoxy is a great distortion of this concept and of religion.
Continue ReadingWe are opening the issue with an essay by Rachid Boutayeb from Morocco entitled “The body of the other (towards a post-Islamic subjectivity)”. Islam, he says, being religion, culture and history, has made an important contribution to civilization in all of these aspects. Those, who want to deny this – out of a sense of anger or prejudice or ignorance – will be laying the ground for racist discourse, which contradicts even the fundamental values of democracy. On the other hand, those, who speak about Islam as something absolute, are demanding nothing less than that Islam should enforce its authority. The author recalls that the Koran says that man – every man – is God’s successor (Caliph) on earth.
Continue ReadingMustafa Khalifa I wrote most of these diaries in the desert prison. But the word “wrote” isn’t quite accurate. There are neither pens nor paper to write on in the desert prison. This colossal structure—made up of Courtyard Zero, seven more courtyards, thirty-seven dormitories, new, unnumbered dormitories, cells in the fifth courtyard, and still more […]
Continue ReadingRadwa Ashour PDF East of the Mediterranean (1975), a novel about torture and abuse of political prisoners, is probably the most widely read prison novel in Arabic literature. It was the author’s second novel. His first novel published 2 years earlier, The Trees and the Assassination of Marzouq (1973), was about a man who flees […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents EditorialGerman English Arabic Arab Prison Literature Radwa Ashour – EgyptEnglish Experience with writing – Afterword to the autobiography “Dreams of freedom” Aisha Odeh – Palestine German The slow death of Muhammad Lghalu “- translated excerpt from the autobiography” Tazmamart: az-Zinzana raqam 10 (Tazmamart, cellule no. 10) Ahmed Marzouki – MoroccoGerman Excerpt from the novel […]
Continue ReadingDear readers This special edition of Minbar Ibn Rushd is dedicated to prison literature, the subject of this year’s Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought (2015). We begin with an essay by the late Egyptian author and literary critic Radwa Ashour on prison literature. In it she analyzes some works of former prisoners, who have […]
Continue ReadingDear readers in this issue Minbar Ibn Rushd again offers you a new selection of interesting essays by authors from different Arab countries. In his Saturday speech the Islamic scholar Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Habash deals with “The founding myths of the discourse of extremism” and answers the questions addressed to him by the audience. We […]
Continue ReadingDear readers; this issue Minbar Ibn Rushd again offers you a new selection of interesting essays by authors from different Arab countries
Continue ReadingDear readers, We begin the year with an extensive double winter issue. At the Reinhold Frank Memorial Lectures in summer 2014, Jörg Armbruster was invited to Karlsruhe to give a lecture entitled “Democracy in the Arab World. What chances does it have?” Armbruster was the correspondent of the German TV Channel ARD for the Middle […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents Editorial Abier BushnaqEnglish German Arabic Democracy in the Arab World. What chances does it have? Jörg Armbruster – GermanyArabic German Navid Kermani’s Speech before the German Bundestag on the 65th anniversary of the Basic LawNavid Kermani – GermanyArabic German A culture of tolerance, the tolerance of ambiguity Rachid Boutayeb – MoroccoArabic Masculinity […]
Continue ReadingIbn Rushd’s work and Influences Abu al-Walid Muhammad Ibn-Rushd, also known as Averroes in the West, was born in 1126 A.D (died in 1198) in Cordova. His ideas influenced the transformation of thought in medieval Europe. He is considered the last of the great Muslim thinkers who integrated Islamic traditions and Greek thought. His beliefs […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents Editorial Abier BushnaqEnglish German Arabic Darwin‘s Theaory of Evolution: Dusty hypothesis or luminous reality Habib Abd ar-Rabb Sururi – YemenArabic Palestinian Literature after Oslo: A testimony Ahmad Harb – PalestineArabic Power and the mentality of exploitation Ahmad al-Barqawi – Palestine/SyriaArabic The Moroccan youth between the individual and the collective I Abu Azm […]
Continue ReadingDear readers, The Arab revolution and its influence on intellectual Thought and politics have been the focus of interest in previous issues and still remain to be ,as our magazine has always been a firm supporter of the urgent call for change .This issue is dedicated to some of these complex problems in the Arab […]
Continue ReadingDear reader, this issue is dedicated to some of these complex problems in the Arab world. The focus is on education, which is why we begin and end the issue with it.
Continue ReadingDear Marina, dear HermannLadies and Gentlemen Since a quarter of a century we have been meeting every year in Hermannsburg, this charming and delightful city in Lower Saxony, at the invitation of Sudan Forum and Sudan Focal Point – Europe to examine and discuss key issues on Sudan. Over a quarter of a century I […]
Continue ReadingDear readers! The focus of the last issue of Minbar was – like in previous issues – the Arab revolution. The call for change is undeniably clear. But where do we start? There are many diverse and complex problems This issue is dedicated to some of these complex problems in the Arab world. The focus […]
Continue ReadingIbn Rushd Prize for School Journalism 2013Competition between four groups of pupils – two from a girls’ school and two from a boys’ school in Tulkarm/Palestine Dr. Hamid FadlallaHamid Fadlalla is a Sudanese specialist doctor and author, resident of Berlin. He is member of the Executive Committee of the Arab Organization for Human Rights in […]
Continue ReadingYoung journalists was a press competition project for pupils of from each one boys and one girls school in Tulkarem – Palestine A joint work between the Palestinian Ministry of Education and the Ibn Rushd Foundation for Free Thought.
This is to activate the student’s relationship with problems in their environment and to discuss them completely freely. The competition took place for a period of three months, during which students participating had to go to libraries and the Internet in search for sources of news.
My beloved people, my soul, my babies
Like a ring around my finger, you are
My good people, you who give me fulfillment
Living in the graveyards[1] patiently and content
You, who eat poison and sell your clothes just to get by
“Tomorrow, when we bring all cowards to justice… Egypt will live safely”The Revolution Utopia Choir The Egyptian popular revolution was characterized by the accurate slogans it launched since its eruption on January 25, 2011. It found its artistic expression in The Revolution Utopia Choir, one of the creative cultural events, which took place in Egypt […]
Continue ReadingDear readers! The Arab world is facing major challenges. Only with new ideas, concepts and approaches will this part of the world be able to achieve what many others have enjoyed for a long time: equality of rights and obligations, a life without fear, a life in dignity, which guarantees equal economic and social opportunities […]
Continue ReadingHow do you define the term “non-violence”?Sami Kilani: Non-violence means respect for another person. I reject the notion of degrading another as a person or as a society and thereby regarding them as something less human. This means applying the same standards to another person as you would to yourself.
Continue ReadingDear readers!
The Arab world is facing major challenges. Only with new ideas, concepts and approaches will this part of the world be able to achieve what many others have enjoyed for a long time: equality of rights and obligations, a life without fear, a life in dignity, which guarantees equal economic and social opportunities for everyone,
Continue ReadingDear readers! In this issue we continue pursuing the subject of “Arab thought” and dedicate ourselves to a number of modern Arab philosophers, whose work have shaped the spirit of Arab modernity even after their death and to whom we herewith pay our tribute: Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, Mohamed Abdel al-Jabri, Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah. […]
Continue ReadingTable of contents EditorialEnglish German Arabic Secular State and the Problem of Religion: Turkey as Example Sadiq Jalal al-Azm – Syria Arabic Mohamed Abed al-Jabri: Analyzing Cultural Heritage for the Sake of Modernism Ghassan Ali Osman – Sudan Arabic Interview with Abdalla an-Naim: „It is not Possible to Keep Religion Totally out of our Life“ […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents EditorialArabic German English Socialize or Emigrate – Arab-Islamic Migrants are part of the Problem of Discrimination and Isolation Ghassan Ibrahim – Syria/England Arabic The Crisis of Integration Process of Muslims and Arabs in Germany Hamid Fadlalla – Sudan/Germany German The Command of Tolerance in Democratic Immigration Society – Integration and Leading Culture Gari Pavkovic […]
Continue ReadingDear readers! Last summer we resumed our magazine – after a long interval – with an extensive first issue on “Arab thought”. We will now resume regular publication with an issue that is equally extensive. Herbert Grönemeyer sings “Home is not a place. Home is a feeling”. „Home is, what you no longer have“, says […]
Continue Reading“However the problems of reading do not stop at the limits of exploring the meanings in their historical contexts but rather exceed this in an attempt to reach the modern ‘significance’ of a heritage text, in any cognitive domain. Also, I do not think that to reach the ‘significance’ is a matter of choice, since […]
Continue ReadingDear readers! We are very pleased to inform you that our internet magazine Minbar Ibn Rushd (Ibn Rushd Forum) is to resume regular publication after a long interval of a few years with three to four issues per year. We start with an extensive first issue. The subject of Minbar’s 10th issue is “Arab thought” […]
Continue ReadingCan the Arab world become a major contributor to the advancement of the sciences, as it once was many centuries ago? Does it need to? If so, how best to go about it? Before I attempt to address these questions I will start by letting you in on a secret. It is about a mechanism […]
Continue ReadingIndex EditorialArabic German English Methodical Introduction into the Study of Arab-Islamic Thought in the Middle Ages Muhammad Ahmad az-Zoebi – Syria/GermanyArabic Why Scientific Thinking has Failed in Modern Arab ThoughtAbd ar-Razzaq Id – Syria/FranceArabic Progressive Thought in Contemporary Islam – A Critical ApproachChristian W. Troll – GermanyArabic The Arab Critical Discourse – Between the Heritage Integration […]
Continue ReadingDear readers! Against the background of the continuous war situation in the Arab world the issue of the integration of Arab immigrants into Western society has become more and more important. Is their integration in a crisis? Hamdi Fadlalla reconstructs the relationship of Muslims towards their host country Germany in the periods from 1900-1971, 1973-1988, […]
Continue ReadingAgainst the background of the continuous war situation in the Arab world the issue of the integration of Arab immigrants into Western society has become more and more important. Is their integration in a crisis?
Continue ReadingDear readers! Starting from the assumption that there must be found a way out of the dilemma of terrorism and that the reasons for the crisis in the relationship between the Islamic world and the West must be overcome by working out a solution together, a group of German diplomats, who have formally served in […]
Continue ReadingDear reader! Starting from the assumption that there must be found a way out of the dilemma of terrorism and that the reasons for the crisis in the relationship between the Islamic world and the West must be overcome by working out a solution together, a group of German diplomats, who have formally served in Arab countries, addressed the EU with an open letter of appeal.
Continue ReadingDear readers! Autumn is a time of reflection and contemplation and so – appropriate to the time of the year – we publish in this new virtual issue a couple of articles that look thoughtfully – back and forth – and ask many questions that concern all nations. A major issue in modern philosophy, whether […]
Continue ReadingAutumn is a time of reflection and contemplation and so – appropriate to the time of the year – we publish in this new virtual issue a couple of articles that look thoughtfully – back and forth – and ask many questions that concern all nations.
Continue ReadingIbn Rushd was working in the fields of astronomy, philosophy, medicine, mathematics … etc. But his work in medicine was original. Among his teachers in medicine were Ali Abu Ja’far Ibn Harun Al-Tarragani and Abu Marwan Ibn Jurrayul.
Continue ReadingDear Readers! On August the 28th 2004 in Oxford the annual meeting „Project for Democracy Studies in the Arab World“ took place for the 14th time. This meeting of Arab academics is extraordnary, has it not indeed established itself throughout the years as a highly respected forum, in which modern Arab intellectuals elaborate on current […]
Continue ReadingOn August the 28th 2004 in Oxford the annual meeting „Project for Democracy Studies in the Arab World“ took place for the 14th time. This meeting of Arab academics is extraordnary, has it not indeed established itself throughout the years as a highly respected forum, in which modern Arab intellectuals elaborate on current issues that move the emotions of millions of Arabs around the world to find solutions for what seems to be insoluble. It is remarkable that this project, which was founded in the middle of Europe, has since then been a forum organized by Arabs for Arabs.
Continue ReadingDear readers! We are most happy to be able to present to you some new interesting contributions from the Arab World. Please have a look! Three articles go back to the 12th Century to trace back the relevance Ibn Rushd and Ibn Arabi might have in modern times. In his compact presentation Abeeb Salloum tries […]
Continue ReadingAbû al-Walîd Muhammad Ibn Rushd, better known in the West as Averroës, but also in medieval times as Avén Ruiz and Averrhoes, was born in 1126 A.D. in Cordova, once the illustrious capital of Moorish Spain. The descendant of a distinguished Cordovan family of scholars, he was the third generation of his lineage to hold the office of qâdî (judge). One of the foremost figures of Arab civilization, he became known as the ‘Prince of Science’, – the master of jurisprudence, mathematics, medicine and, above all, philosophy.
Continue ReadingWe are most happy to be able to present to you some new interesting contributions from the Arab World. Please have a look! Three articles go back to the 12th Century to trace back the relevance Ibn Rushd and Ibn Arabi might have in modern times. In his compact presentation Abeeb Salloum tries to characterize Ibn Rushd by understanding his work and influence in his time. Mohamed Mesbahi applies Postmodern theory on reinterpreting Ibn Rushd’s and Ibn Arabi’s work from a new modern perspective. Hakam Abdel-Hadi takes the occasion of the IBN RUSHD Prize 2003, awarded to Muhamed Arkoun, to deliberate on the reasons for deteriorated conditions and political failures in the presence.
Continue ReadingContents Editorial Abier BushnaqArabic German How to Confront Empire Arundhati RoyArabic A Difficult Journey to Palestine Hakam Abdel-HadiArabic German Evaluating Arabic Websites and Web Search Engines: Supply of Information in the Field of Media and Culture Abier BushnaqGerman Society for the Promotion of African, Asian and Latin American Literature: Translation Grants for Books by Arab […]
Continue ReadingSince 1984 the German translations of about 400 books (novels, short stories and poetry) have been supported, 95 of them by authors from the Arab region. Among these are 58 translations from Arabic. For more information see the society’s website: www.litprom.de
Continue ReadingBy Ghassan F. Abdullah(*) A major movement of secular writing in Arabic has been gaining strength and depth over the last fifteen years, little reported by outsiders.1 It is going into new directions, well beyond a mere reaction to Islamic fundamentalismwhich grew mostly afterKhomeini took over in Iran in 1979. This article is a quick […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents Editorial Abier BushnaqGerman Ibn Rushd’s Contribution to the Improvement of Arab Women’s Right Dr. George TamerArabic Moslems in Secular state: From Civil Rights to Social Commitment Heiner BielefeldtArabic New Secularism in the Arab World Ghassan F. AbdullahEnglish Criticism of Civilisation in the Arabic Literature of the 19.th Century, Ahmad Faris ash-Shidyaq Abier […]
Continue ReadingEnough for me to die on her earthbe buried in herto melt and vanish into her soilthen sprout forth as a flowerplayed with by a child from my country.Enough for me to remainin my country’s embraceto be in her close as a handful of dusta sprig of grassa flower. Fadwa Touqan2001
Continue ReadingChristian Szyska After its publication Anton Shammas’s Galilean family saga Arabeskot set in motion intense debates among literary critics about the Jewishness of Hebrew literature. [1] The interest among the general public for this semi-autobiographical novel of an Arab Israeli has been accompanied by ongoing scholarly debate.[1] All critics are aware of the central importance […]
Continue ReadingEdna Yaghi “The sight of a child raising hands in front of the machine gun toting thug grieves us only if it is a Jewish child. The Gentile child can be shot at freely.”-Israel Shamir Let’s get one thing straight from the start. I am neither of Palestinian origin nor from Arab descent. I am […]
Continue ReadingA Personal Statement Retold by Edna Yaghi “Without the Palestinians, Palestine dies. Her rivers are poisoned, the sources dry out, the hills and valleys disfigured, her fields are worked by imported Chinese, while her sons are imprisoned in ghettos.” Israel Shamir. My name is Rafi. I am an American Israeli and a former member of […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents Editorial Abier BushnaqArabic German Human Rights in the Age of Globalization: An Arab Point of View Mohamed FayekArabic German Globalization and the Lack of a Common Arab Policy Muhannad Ibrahim Abu LatifaArabic Globalization and the Fears of the Arab World Kadhim A. HabibArabic Al-Multaqa ath-Thaqafi al-Arabi in Berlin Presents Itself Sa’id AlameddineArabic […]
Continue ReadingTable of Contents EditorialM. Ali HachichoArabic German Thoughts on al-Hallaj Annemarie SchimmelArabic German Abul Alaa’ al-Maarri’s Doubts M. Abul Fadl BadranArabic Al Jazeera Satellite Channel: The Earthquake and its Aftermath Muftah al-SherifArabic Taha Muhammad Ali – A Palestinian Poet from Galilea Hakam Abdel-HadiArabic German
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