Islamic Fundamentalism and the Intellectuals: The Case of Nasr H a¯ mid Abu Zayd
Title:
Islamic Fundamentalism and the Intellectuals: The Case of Nasr H a¯ mid Abu Zayd
Author:
Najjar, Fauzi M.
Appeared in:
British journal of Middle Eastern studies
Paging:
Volume 27 (2000) nr. 2 pages 177-200
Year:
2000-11-01
Contents:
On June 14, 1995, Cairo's Appeals Court ruled that Nasr H a¯ mid Abu Zayd, a Professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies at Cairo University, was an apostate from Islam, and ordered his separation from his wife. The court based its decision, later upheld by the Supreme Court, on its interpretation that the principle of hisba is applicable in matters of personal status. Hisba is based on the Qur'anic verses entrusting Muslims with the collective obligation to encourage good and discourage evil. In his books and articles, Abu Zayd, a liberal-secularist writer, extended his linguistic research to the study of Islamic texts, in particular the Qur'an and the Sunna, thereby infurating the Islamists, who charged him with blaspheming Islam, and demeaning Islamic Ulam a¯ , past and present. Like many liberal writers in Egypt, Abu Zayd is an advocate of freedom of thought and scientific research, and a critic of the contemporary Islamic discourse. The rejection of Abu Zayd's promotion at the University, the court decision, and his self-exile in Europe, fearing for his life, are evidence that the influence of the Islamists has extended beyond preaching into the Academy and the Judiciary, to the detriment of scientific research, freedom of thought and expression, and social and economic progress.
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