A hundred years ago, L’Islam et les fondements du pouvoir by Ali Abdelrazek was published, a landmark work in the history of Islamic political thought. Through a methodical and well-argued approach, the author examined scriptural and historical sources to demonstrate that the caliphate was not a religious necessity but a political construct. His analysis, based on a critical reading of texts, took place at a pivotal moment in contemporary history, as the Muslim world was redefining its institutions following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of the caliphate by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924. Even today, this book remains an essential reference for those interested in the relationship between religion and power. Revisiting Abdelrazek’s work means returning to the foundations of a debate that transcends the controversies of his time, rigorously and thoughtfully questioning the historical dynamics of governance in Muslim countries.
This month, IDEO will have the pleasure of hosting six renowned scholars for a study day dedicated to the scientific analysis of this work and an examination of its impact on contemporary political thought.
Scientific communication
On March 20, Emmanuel Pisani, OP delivered a presentation titled “Did al-Ghazālī consider himself a Mutakallim?”, as part of the “Thinkers’ View on Theology” conference at the Arabic Classical Philosophy & Philosophy of Sciences Center of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir, organized by Ms. Amal Belkamel and Ms. Lucie Tardy.
Research seminar
On March 22, Emmanuel Pisani, OP delivered a seminar titled “Contemporary Quranic Hermeneutics and the Question of Violence in the Quran: A Critical Presentation of Jawdat Saʿid’s Thought”, at the Fondazione Accademia, Casa di Popoli, Culture e Religioni in Sassari, as part of the research seminar “Religions and Sacred Texts: Interdisciplinary Analysis and Study – Understanding the Processes Leading to the Theological/Religious Legitimization of Religious Violence”.
Islamic studies course
From March 21 to 23, Jean Druel, OP led a twelve-hour session on the history of the Arabic language at the Catholic University of the West in Thiès, Senegal, as part of the Domuni Islamic studies certificate
Interreligious dialogue
On March 15, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP gave an online lecture for the Dominican Centre for Ethics and Spiritual Life in Montreal, on the topic: “Pierre Claverie, Hope at the Heart of Violence”.
On March 22, Emmanuel Pisani, OP took part in a roundtable discussion on the topic: “Live Testimonies of Dialogue”, alongside the Imam of Sassari, Abdellaoui Salaheddine, and Professor Afsaneh Seyed, from the Bahaï community of Sassari.
On March 24, Jean Druel, OP gave a lecture at the Saint Dominic University Parish in Dakar on the topic: “Christians and Muslims, Why is it So Difficult to Understand Each Other?”.
On March 26, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a lecture at IDEO on “The Role of Islamic studies in Interreligious Dialogue in Egypt”, for students from the IHEDN (Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defense).
Iftar
As part of the Anawati Chair project and on the occasion of the publication of the Arabic translation of the book by Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP titled “Father Georges Anawati: A Life for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue”, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Emil Ameen for a lecture titled “Father Anawati and the Dialogue of Cultures”. The lecture was followed by an Iftar bringing together the partners of the Anawati Chair project.
Visit
On March 29, we welcomed Mrs. Asma Elzeiny, Director of the Tatweer Center of al-Azhar, and Mr. Jakob Wiren, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Lund, Sweden, along with 17 students.
Scholars’ House
During the month of March, we had the pleasure to receive at the Scholars’ House Mr. Francesco Antonini, a PhD student in medieval Arabic and Latin philosophy at the École Pratique des Hautes Études.
Upcoming – Activities of the Anawati Chair
On May 2 and 3, IDEO, in partnership with the American University in Cairo and as part of the Anawati Chair project, will organize a conference in English titled “The Authority of Silence: Constructing the Figure of the Salafs (7ᵗʰ-15ᵗʰ centuries)”. Registration is required before April 30 at the following email address: inscr-salafs@ideo-cairo.org.
The “Religions and Human Sciences” Certificate from the Anawati Chair will focus this year on “Islam and Other Religions”. It will take place over four sessions on Fridays, May 9ᵗʰ, 16ᵗʰ, 23ʳᵈ, and 30ᵗʰ, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. As the number of seats is limited, applications must be submitted before April 20 to the following email address: certificate.anawati-2025@ideo-cairo.org. For the program and application details, please visit the IDEO website.
Upcoming research workshop
On May 6, 7, and 8, Jean Druel, OP will participate in the 5ᵗʰ International Workshop on Manuscript Studies, organized in Fez, Morocco, by the Rawafed Center for Studies and Research, in partnership with the German project Corpus Coranicum and the IDEO.