Mahmoud Zakzouk
Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk | |
---|---|
Minister of Religious Endowment | |
In office 1995–2011 | |
Personal details | |
Born |
Dakahlia, Egypt | 27 December 1933
Nationality | Egyptian |
Alma mater |
Al Azhar University Munich University |
Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk (born 27 December 1933) is an Egyptian academic and politician. He was the former minister of religious endowment of Egypt from 1995 to 2011.
Early life and education
Mahmoud Zakzouk was born in Dakahlia on 27 December 1933.[1][2] He obtained a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Al Azhar University.[2] He also received a PhD in philosophy from Munich University in 1968.[3] His PhD thesis was a comparison of the philosophical approach of Descartes and Al-Ghazali.[4]
Career
Mahmoud Zakzouk is a professor of philosophy and teaches philosophy at his alma mater, Al Azhar University.[4] He joined the university in 1968.[3] From 1972 to 1976 he was visiting professor in Libya and from 1980 to 1984 in Qatar.[2] He served as the dean of the Islamic Theology Faculty at Al Azhar from 1987 to 1995.[3] He was appointed minister of religious endowments (awqaf) in 1995 and was in office until the Revolution of 2011 when he was removed.[4]
He served as head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to which he was appointed in 1996.[3][5] He has held the following posts: vice president of Al Azhar University (1995), member of the Islamic Research Academy, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg[4] and head of the Egyptian Society of Philosophy.[3]
In July 2016, Mahmoud Zakzouk received the bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot to give him a tour of the Al-Azhar University upon the request of Pope Francis, and to discuss the formal resumption of dialogue between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Al-Azhar University.[6][7]
Views
Zakzouk argued in 2006 that "Bahaism is “not a revealed religion” for Muslims and thus not subject to special protection in Egypt."[8] He also publicly claimed that capital punishment for converts, more specifically those Muslim-born persons who convert to other religious beliefs, is legal.[9] In 2007, he called on Egyptian imams to condemn the practice of female circumcision.[10]
Zakzouk frowned on the use of the niqab. He expelled an employee (a counsellor) wearing the niqab from a meeting at his ministry, and stated "the religious counsellor should set an example of moderation. By wearing the niqab, this female counsellor promotes a tradition not demanded by Islam".[11]
In 2010, Mahmoud Zakzouk announced a plan to unify the Adhan, but the Religious Affairs Committee in parliament refused. 7 years later, actress Shereen Reda, and the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Ministry of Endowments, Gaber Tayae, relaunched Zakzouk's suggestions through a press campaign[12][13]
Prizes
- 1997: Egyptian State Prize for Social Sciences[3]
Personal life
Zakzouk is married and has one child.[1]
Works
Zakzouk has published many scientific articles and books, including On Philosophy Culture and Peace in Islam,[14] On the Role of Islam in the Development of Philosophical Thought (1989), Al Ghazalis Philosophie im Vergleich mit Descartes (Comparison of Al Ghazali's Philosophy with that of Descartes, 1992), Fragen zum Thema Islam (Questions on Islam, 1999) and Einführung in den Islam (Introduction to Islam, 2000).[2] He also contributed to The End of Tolerance? which was published in 2002.[15] The book focuses on interfaith origins of tolerance.[15]
References
- 1 2 "Ministry of Waqfs (Endowments)". SIS. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Professor Dr. Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk". Robert Bosch Stiftung. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 P. Koslowski (30 June 2002). Progress, Apocalypse, and Completion of History and Life After Death of the Human Person in the World Religions. Springer. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-4020-0647-0. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk". DAAD. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ "Conferences". Al Azhar. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ Carol Glatz, Vatican working to re-establish dialogue with leading Sunni university, Catholicherald.com, 12 July 2016
- ↑ Elise Harris, Vatican, Al-Azhar team up to counter religious justification for violence, Cruxnow.com, 21 February 2017
- ↑ Faris, David (2010). "Revolutions without revolutionaries? Social media networks and regime response in Egypt". Penn Dissertations (116). Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ Nina Shea (2011). Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide. New York: OUP. p. 70. Retrieved 31 August 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
- ↑ Khaled Diab, Scars that refuse to heal, Theguardian.com, 14 August 2007
- ↑ Saleh, Yasmine (14 March 2008). "Zakzouk supports calls to equate women to men in court testimonies". Masress. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- ↑ Farah Tawfeek, Azhar Sheikh criticizes Shereen Reda’s description of some calls to prayer as ‘animal sounds’, Egyptindependent.com, 25 December 2017
- ↑ Farah Tawfeek, Endowments Ministry defends Shereen Reda’s likening of some prayer calls to ‘animal sounds’, Egyptindependent.com, 27 December 2017
- ↑ Zakzouk, Mahmoud. On Philosophy Culture and Peace in Islam (PDF). Cairo: Shorouk.
- 1 2 "The End of Tolerance?". Amazon. Retrieved 30 August 2013.