Newsletter November-December 2021

There are those who do not choose between friendship and knowledge because they have understood—through a profound intuition, perhaps irreducible to any demonstration—that one without the other is but half an existence. Father Georges Anawati was certainly one of these men. The documentary recently produced by IDEO, which we are now making available to you, does not claim to exhaustively cover his journey; rather, it more modestly restores a presence. For Anawati, before being the author of a significant body of work on Avicenna, Arabic philosophy, or Islamic mysticism—and even before being that discreet expert and advisor at the Second Vatican Council—was, in fact, a man of encounters. Through this presence and his wit, he was not a man of committees or mere declarations of intent. He was the very image of dialogue as scholarly friendship. Friendship requires time and a certain acceptance of the risk of being disturbed by the “other”. Knowledge requires rigor, critical distance, and an honesty that makes no concessions to complacency. Anawati did not choose between the two; instead, he thought and lived them together, within that fruitful tension where something new becomes possible for all parties involved. This “something new” is what the documentary attempts to name through the testimonies of those who have read his work and who seek to follow in his footsteps today. Perhaps this is the lesson of Anawati: there is no great text without small gestures, and no theology of dialogue without the daily patience of friendship. The documentary we offer you presents this reality. More than that, it brings it to life. Session on Islamic Studies From March 9 to 13, Emmanuel Pisani, OP and Adrien Candiard, OP led a session on Islamic studies and an introduction to interreligious dialogue at the interdiocesan seminary in N’Djamena, Chad. This formation brought together fourth-year seminarians as well as key figures in interreligious dialogue from all six Chadian dioceses. Talks and lectures On March 6, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a lecture at the Resalt al-Salam International Foundation on the topic “al-salām fī al-masīḥiyya” [Peace in Christianity]. On March 17, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a talk on Islamic studies during the Catholic Education Study Day for the Diocese of Toulon. The event’s topic was “War and Peace in Religions”. On March 18, Claudio Monge, OP gave a talk entitled “ Contaminazioni devozionali islamo-cristiane: monologhi a due voci” [Reciprocal Influences between Islam and Christianity in Devotion: Monologues for Two Voice]. This took place during the SACROSANCTUM conference: “The Sacred, at the Crossroads of Theology and Culture”, held in Bologna. On March 21, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP gave a talk in Saint-Avold on the topic “Eastern Christians in a Middle East in Crisis: Situation and Perspectives”. On March 22, Claudio Monge, OP gave a talk on the topic “Osare l’ospitalità” [Daring Hospitality], at the Shoah Memorial in Milan, as part of the SOUL Spirituality Festival 2026. Board members meeting On March 14, Emmanuel Pisani, OP participated in the Board members meeting of the association “The Friends of IDEO”. Visits On March 7, we welcomed Ms. Angelika Schmähling, Project Manager, and Mr. Nadim K. Ammann, Director of the “Universal Church and Dialogue” Department, at the Archdiocese of Cologne. On March 31, we welcomed Ms. Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s former Special Representative for Combating Islamophobia and Human Rights activist. Scholars’ House During the month of March, we had the pleasure of receiving in the Scholars’ House: Ms. Rosalie Mahieu, PhD student in Contemporary History at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS); Mr. Thomas Kremer, Director of the Research Center for the Christian East (FSCO) at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Publications Dennis Halft, “Zeitenwende auch in Iran? Zwischen Warten, Bangen und Hoffen”, feinschwarz.net. Theologisches Feuilleton. Dennis Halft, “Algerien. Kirche der Märtyrer und der Versöhnung” Information Christlicher Orient 26, n° 112, p. 12-13. Adrien Candiard, “The God of the Philosophers: The Refutation of Thābit b. Qurra’s Talkhīṣ of the Metaphysics in Ibn Taymiyya’s Darʾ taʿāruḍ al-ʿaql wa-l-naql”, dans Mehdi Berriah et Arjan Post (ed.),  Ibn Taymiyya’s Thought: Corpus, Reception, and Legacy, Leuven, Leuven University Press, 2026, p. 99-132. Dominique Avon, « Hommes de religion sunnites et études profanes sur le Coran. Controverses autour de la distinction entre versets mecquois et médinois (années 1910 – années 1970) », dans Constance Arminjon et Rainer Brunner (dir.), Herméneutiques en Islam contemporain. Théologie, exégèse et philosophie, Turnhout, Brepols, 2026, p. 173-199. Claudio Monge, “Riconciliarsi con la violenza del testo biblico” [Se réconcilier avec la violence du texte biblique], dans Marco dal Corso, Religioni e riconciliazione, Roma, Themis, 2026, p. 17-41.

An unprecedented training week was implemented at the beginning of February on the topic “Complementarity between Religions and Human Rights.” It was organized in partnership with the Observatory for Combating Extremism and the British University in Egypt, with which we inaugurated a promising collaboration thanks to the dynamic commitment of Professor Ibrahim Salama. It is always gratifying to see that verbal commitments and framework agreements we sign with institutions take concrete form through real initiatives. The training brought together twenty-eight students from Al-Azhar, selected by the Observatory, ten students chosen by Idéo, and four from the British University. From a human rights philosophy perspective, it was emphasized that these rights are not based solely on procedural consensus or the balancing of interests, but on a strong anthropological assertion: every human being possesses an unconditional value that precedes the state, majorities, and communal affiliations. Thus, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, and the delicate issue of apostasy were approached not as polemical subjects, but as arenas in which the coherence between professed faith and respect for the freedom granted by God Himself is enacted. The originality of the week lay in the cross-exposure of perspectives from contemporary Christian and Muslim theologians. Rather than adopting a purely apologetic approach, the speakers engaged with the internal tensions of their traditions, showing that fidelity to heritage does not preclude interpretive effort. The respectful confrontation of arguments opened a space for intellectual emulation: each tradition, by allowing itself to be questioned by the other, deepens its own understanding of human dignity and the demands of justice. This theme holds particular relevance today. We live in a global context where the weight of the powerful—political, economic, or media—sometimes tends to stifle the expression and rights of the weak, whether individuals or communities. Reaffirming the complementarity between religions and human rights means rejecting the idea that the law of the strongest should become the ultimate horizon of human relations. Anawati Chair 1. Immersive Week | Complementarity between Religions and Human Rights From February 1 to 5, 2026, the IDEO participated in organizing an immersive training week dedicated to the topic: “Complementarity between Religions and Human Rights”. This week was organized in partnership with the Center for Human Rights Research and Training at the British University in Egypt and the al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism. This program was aimed at a new generation of religious actors called upon to play a key role in conflict prevention, diversity management, and the promotion of more inclusive societies. On this occasion, we welcomed the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, Ms. Anne Schouw. Key Speakers and Sessions: Mr. Ibrahim Salama: Connecting the Dots between International Human Rights Frameworks, National Human Rights Mechanisms, and Religious Institutions: Tensions and Complementarity. Mr. Michael Wiener: Religions and Beliefs from a Human Rights Perspective. Mr. Elias el-Halabi: Christianity: Bible, patristic tradition, contemporary magisterium (e.g. Vatican II, social encyclicals). Institutions and dynamics of interpretation of sacred texts. Adrien Candiard, OP: Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech: Cross-Religious Perspectives. Father Bassem Raï: Efforts of Modern Muslim Thinkers Developing an Islamic Perspective of Human Rights. Father Raymond Sarkis: Justice and Equality in Christianity: A Theological Perspective. Emmanuel Pisani, OP and Father Charbel Attallah: Discussion on the Document on Human Fraternity. 2. Cordoba Congress | Ethics and Aesthetics in Islamic Heritage In partnership with PLURIEL and the al-Azhar French Language Teaching Center, the Anawati Chair enabled seventeen Egyptians to participate in the congress entitled “Ethics and Aesthetics in Islamic Heritage” held in Cordoba from February 10 to 14, 2026. Academics and young researchers from al-Azhar University explored the interactions between moral philosophy and artistic expression throughout the intellectual history of Islam. As part of this congress, the researcher Mr. Amr Zakaria delivered a presentation entitled “Critical Perspectives on Ibn Ḥazm’s Ṭawq al-Ḥamāma in Arabic Literary Critical Discourse”. 3. Seminar of The French Teaching Center of al-Azhar On February 17, we welcomed Professor Simon Conrad for a seminar at the French Teaching Center of al-Azhar. He presented the results of his doctoral research, defended at Princeton University in June 2025 and entitled “What is Knowledge (maʿrifa)? Debates between Egyptian Philosophers and Sufis in the 30s and 40s”. His research examines the intellectual debates between Egyptian philosophers and Sufi thinkers during the 1930s and 1940s. The presentation also addressed the role of mysticism in structuring these philosophical discussions. Papers and presentations During the PLURIEL Platform Congress, held in Cordoba from February 11 to 14, 2026, Emmanuel Pisani, OP presented two papers: The first, entitled “Ethics and Aesthetics in Islamic Heritage: Towards a Research Problematic”. The second, entitled “Ethics and Aesthetics in the Art Galleries of Zamalek: Contemporary Perspectives and Reinterpretations of Islam and the Muslim Faith”. During the same congress, Mr. Aziz Hilal presented a paper on “The Foundations of Beauty in al-Fārābī”. Call for Applications | IFI-IDEO 2026 Summer School in Islamic Studies IDEO, with the support of the IFI, is organizing a summer school for doctoral students on the topic “Islamic Sciences in Dialogue: Azhari Tradition and Critical Islamic Studies”, from July 13 to 26, 2026 (classes begin on July 14). Application Deadline: April 1, 2026. Information and applications: Call for Applications | IFI–IDEO 2026 Summer School in Islamic Studies (in French)… Scholars’ House During the month of February, we had the pleasure of welcoming to the Scholars’ House: Mr. Andreas Nabil Younan, a PhD student and Gates Cambridge Scholar at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge. Andreas is a legal historian who, in his dissertation, studies parliamentary life in Egypt during the 1970s and 1980s; Ms. Tessa Larivière-Ammari, a PhD student in the history of the medieval Muslim world at Aix-Marseille University. She is working on the political and intellectual history of the Nizari Ismailis of Northern Syria during the Mamluk period (1260–1516), under the supervision of Mr. Julien Loiseau; Ms. Sarah Yona Zweig, Assistant Professor of World Classical Literature at Ashoka University (Delhi). She is currently completing her doctorate,

The proceedings of the Islam and Fraternity conference, organized in Abu Dhabi by the Pluriel network with the support of the Anawati Chair, in partnership with Trends, and to which several members of the IDEO contributed, have just been published in the series Les Cahiers du Midéo (No. 7). They are fully accessible online, as indicated in the link provided in this newsletter. This volume goes beyond simply recording an academic event: it represents a moment of theological and interdisciplinary reflection on the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb of al-Azhar, and its implications for coexistence between Christians and Muslims in the contemporary world. Five years after this signing, the conference aimed to examine the actual impact of this Document and to explore its implications, not only doctrinally, but also in the social and cultural practices that bring human fraternity to life. The contributions gathered show how the act of speaking represented by this declaration engages not only institutions but also imaginations and practices. Through the three main thematic axes explored, these proceedings show that human fraternity is not merely an intention, but presents itself as a promise—one that is not always easy to uphold—over the long term of institutions, cultures, and human consciousness. Anawati Chair International Academic Dialogue around the NIJA Report On January 22, on the occasion of the publication of the Italian edition of the NIJA report entitled “Negotiating with Islamist and Jihadist Armed Groups: Practices, Discourses, and Mechanisms in Asia and Africa”, we welcomed researchers from the Italian department of the al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism, as well as Professor Martino Diez from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan). The speakers were: Dr. Elsayed Abdelhady Mohammed, Head of the Italian Department, al-Azhar Observatory Dr. Martino Diez, Scientific Director of the International Oasis Foundation and Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan) Dr. Abdelwahab Ibrahim, Researcher, al-Azhar Observatory Dr. Ahmed al-Attar, Researcher, al-Azhar Observatory Mobility Grant Mrs. Mona Sabry, Director of the CEF of al-Azhar, benefited from an international mobility grant enabling her to take part in the doctoral thesis jury of Mrs. Nada Ossama Ezzat Amin, held on January 30, 2025. The thesis was entitled “Gender and Political Transitions: The Instrumentalization of Gender in Post-Revolutionary Egypt (2011–2023)” and was supervised by Mr. Stéphane Valter at the Doctoral School “Arabic Linguistics, Literature, and Civilization”, of Lyon 2 University. IDEO seminar On January 20, Professor Jaafar Ben El Haj Soulami, holder of the Chair of Moroccan and Andalusian Studies at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, led a seminar at IDEO in Arabic entitled “The Development of Islamic Theology after the Fall of Granada: The Position of Maghrebi Envoys toward the ‘Heritage of al-Andalus’ and Christian Doctrines”. Conference  and Academic gathering On January 9, Matthieu Palayret, OP participated in the annual meeting of the Epiphany Philosophers in Oxford, a group of researchers focused on the relationship between science and faith. He presented a paper entitled “Ibn al-Durayhim: How a 14th-Century Islamic Scholar Integrated His Expertise in Both the Natural Sciences and Mystical Theology”. From January 25 to 27, Mateus Domingues da Silva, OP participated in the joint annual conference of MELA and MELCom, entitled “Reflecting on Our Past, Charting Our Future: Middle East Librarianship in Transition”, which was held at the American University in Cairo. Teaching and Study Day On January 16, Mr. Dominique Avon, in collaboration with Mr. Rainer Brunner, organized a study day entitled “Salaf, Salafiyya, Salafism: Faith in the Good Old Days in Modern Islam” at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (MSH) in Raspail. On January 24, Emmanuel Pisani, OP led a workshop on “Qurʾānic Christology” in person at the Catholic Institute of Paris, as part of a day organized online by the Theologicum. Appointment On January 19, 2026, Emmanuel Pisani, OP was appointed by the Holy Father as Consultant to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue Call for papers | Sībawayh and the Knowledge of his Time MIDEO is issuing a call for papers for its volume 43 (2028), devoted to Sībawayh and the knowledge of his time. This volume will focus on his work, its influences, the debates it generated, and its legacy. Paper proposals are expected by 31 December 2026. Call for Contributions | Abu Dhabi Declaration In collaboration with the Pluriel network and the Anawati Chair, the Research Center Religions, Rights, and Economies in the Mediterranean Space (REDESM) of the University of Insubria is launching a call for contributions for a collective volume within the REDESM editorial collection on The Abu Dhabi Declaration and New Forms of Citizenship. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2026. Call for Papers | PISAI Conference On December 11-12, 2026, PISAI will celebrate its centenary in Rome with an international conference entitled “ Per un futuro di eccellenza: cento anni tra missione e formazione”. As part of this conference, a call for papers is open for researchers wishing to propose contributions on the history of the Institute, its figures in interreligious dialogue, its international collaborations, and its educational approach. Presentations may be in Italian, French, English, or Arabic. The deadline for submissions is 1 April 2026. Ali al-Samman Award On 31 January, Emmanuel Pisani, OP and Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP attended the ceremony for the Ali al-Samman Awar, organized by the Christian-Islamic Center for Dialogue and Partnership. As in the previous year, IDEO was part of the jury for the award selection. The three awarded projects are: First Prize: “Dialogue around the Document on Human Fraternity” by the The Mediterranean Youth for Development Institute, aiming to create a dialogue space for youth. Second Prize: Journalist Teresa Kamal (al-Masry al-Youm) for her articles on coexistence between Muslims and Copts in Upper Egypt. Third Prize: International Youth Initiative for Climate Peace, involving young people from Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Yemen, promoting interreligious cooperation for climate action and peace. Visits On January 13, we had the pleasure of welcoming Ms. Zaida