Newsletter December 2024

It was twenty years ago, in the light of the summer of 2004, that Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen already offered us a fascinating account: the history of a legendary pilgrimage in Islam-the moulid of Tanta in Upper Egypt, which in medieval times attracted crowds sometimes larger than those heading to Mecca for the Hajj. Today, she returns to us with her latest book, a monumental work: the history of the cult of Muslim saints. A history that embraces centuries and horizons, from sub-Saharan Africa to China, from India to Southeast Asia, and, of course, through Egypt-a country she knows intimately, down to its deepest whispers, whether Muslim or Coptic. Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen is one of those mediators between worlds. A professor at the Sorbonne and a member of IDEO, she journeys between disciplines and hearts. In her book, history engages in dialogue with sociology, anthropology, and theology. Through these lenses, she paints a vibrant picture of the bonds woven day by day, century by century, between Muslims and their saints. These saints, these friends of God, are lights in the darkness, bridges between the visible and the invisible. Their cult, rooted in both lands and souls, tells of a lived piety where the everyday becomes sacred. Here, everything intertwines: local Islam and universal Islam, the living and the dead, men and women-so present in these devotions-and the infinite. It is a story of encounters. A solidarity of intercession that transcends time and space, connecting believers to the Prophet, his family, the Imams for Shiites, and to these saints whose light still reaches us today. Even now, this cult seeks its place in modernity, like a river constantly carving its path. We are proud and delighted to share the announcement of this remarkable publication by our friend Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen. She offers it to us as a treasure, a key to entering the mystery and living reality that pulse at the heart of Islam. Anawati Chair Promoting Humanist Heritage On December 5ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP and Jean Druel, OP met with the new director of the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts, Dr. Ali Abdallah al-Naïm, to discuss cooperation and the promotion of the Islamic humanist heritage within the framework of the Anawati Chair. Support for Mobility Professor Oussama Nabil, from the Faculty of Languages and Translation at al-Azhar University, received a mobility grant to participate in a thesis defense jury in Paris and give a lecture on December 17ᵗʰ at the French Institute of Muslim Civilization in Lyon on the topic of “The Prophet as Seen by French Orientalists”. During this lecture, he presented “a historical, critical, and comparative analysis highlighting impartial and nuanced perspectives”. His contributions were documented in reports shared on social media, particularly on Facebook. Call for papers – Conference “The Authority of Silence” As part of the conference “The Authority of Silence: Constructing the Figure of the Salafs (7ᵗʰ-15ᵗʰ Centuries)” to be held on May 2ⁿᵈ and 3ʳᵈ, 2025, in Cairo, we invite researchers wishing to participate to submit an abstract of their proposal before the deadline of January 15ᵗʰ, 2025. For more information, please visit our website… Lectures On December 4ᵗʰ, Michel Cuypers, OP gave a video conference entitled “A Review of Thirty Years of Research on the Rhetoric of the Qurʾān”, at the 9ᵗʰ RBS (Retorica Biblica e Semitica) conference, which took place at the Gregorian University in Rome. Watch the video in French… On December 13ᵗʰ, Jean Druel, OP gave a lecture at the Faculty of Historical Sciences at the University of Strasbourg on the topic: “Networking Manuscripts and Printed Works: New Cataloging Standards for a Mapping of Knowledge”. During the lecture, he highlighted the significance of the IFLA/RDA model for showcasing the circulation of texts, using two manuscripts from the National and University Library of Strasbourg as examples. Scientific Councils On December 10ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP participated in the scientific council of NCCRM (Network for Centers of Christian-Muslim Relations) to prepare for the Amman conference on the topic of “The Future of Christian-Muslim Relations: Prospects and Challenges”, which will take place from June 16 to 18, 2025. On December 13ᵗʰ and 14ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP, and Claudio Monge, OP, participated in the academic platform PLURIEL Board meeting held in Lyon. The meeting aimed to prepare for the Cordoba conference scheduled for February 2026 on the topic of “Ethics and Aesthetics in Islamic Heritage”. Thesis Defense On December 17ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP participated in the thesis jury of Mr. Khaled Ezzat Abdelfadeel. His thesis, entitled “The Sunna as a Referential Source in Qurʾānic Interpretation at the Beginning of the 20ᵗʰ Century: The Case of the al-Manār Movement. Discussions and Debate with Contemporary Western Approaches”, was assessed by a jury composed of the following members: Emmanuel Pisani, OP, Associate Professor at the Vice-Rectorate for Research at the Catholic Institute of Paris and Director of the Dominican Institute of Oriental Studies (Cairo). Mr. Oussama Nabil, Professor and Honorary Head of the French Department, as well as Director of Research in Islamic Studies in French at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, al-Azhar University (rapporteur). Mr. Nasser Gabryel, Research Director at the Montpensier Institute, accredited to supervise research (HDR) in political science (rapporteur). Mr. Steven Duarte, Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Sorbonne Paris North University. Radio Broadcast On November 10ᵗʰ, Ms. Anne-Sylvie Boisliveau participated in the program “Questions d’Islam” on France Culture, discussing the topic “The Canonization of the Qurʾān”. Listen to the program in French… Video: “The ABCs of Islam” ON January 2ⁿᵈ, Adrien Candiard, OP contributed to the production of a video for “The ABCs of Islam” on the topic of “Salaf”. Watch the video in French… Visits On December 18ᵗʰ, we welcomed for lunch Mr. Frédéric Lagrange, Director of CEDEJ, and Ms. Alya el Hosseini, Head of Documentation and Research Assistance. On December 22ⁿᵈ, we welcomed Mr. Emile Ameen, Private Secretary to His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saoud. On the same day, we also welcomed Dr. Ismaël Abdullah, Senior Director of the Department of Islamic Studies at

The Anawati Chair has opened three postdoctoral fellowships in partnership with the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts. This month, our three researchers presented, as part of the IDEO seminars, the progress, challenges, and prospects of their research towards establishing three critical editions of Islamic heritage. Dʳ. Mariam Shehata has begun an inquiry into The Commentary on al-Ḫuṭba al-Ġarrāʾ of Ibn Sīnā, by Šaraf al-Dīn al-Masʿūdī (6ᵗʰ/12ᵗʰ century). Dʳ. Ahmed Atiyya, meanwhile, is preparing an edition of the book Maḥāsin al-Ġurar fī Manāqib al-Bašar of Abū al-Suʿūd, by Muḥammad Ibn Ǧānī Bek al-Sayfī, an author from the 10ᵗʰ century of the Hijri, who does more than simply compile the sayings of earlier scholars on ethics but offers original teachings. Dʳ. Atiyya emphasized the uniqueness of this work’s reflections on the origins of ethics, its social consequences, the distinctiveness of each virtue through a precise definition of its characteristics and stakes, and an expansion into questions like politics… As for Dʳ. Abdulrahman Bin Khunayfir, he is preparing the study and critical edition of the manuscript Siyāsat al-Nufūs by Sinān Ibn Ṯābit ibn Qurra (d. 331/943), the only preserved work by this author. Intellectually, this epistle was written after the first generation of translators and authors in the field of moral philosophy (al-Kindī, al-Sarḫasī, Ibn Qurra, Ibn Abī Nūḥ, and al-Rāzī). It therefore, precedes the establishment of writing traditions in this field, that is, before the dissemination of al-Fārābī’s treatises, the Iḫwān al-Ṣafāʾ, and before the emergence of Ibn Sīnā, Miskawayh, and al-ʿĀmirī. In this initial presentation, our researchers have already conducted meticulous investigations, sometimes akin to detective work, to find manuscripts that will enrich their studies, enabling them to better delineate the context of writing, authenticate attribution, and understand the contributions of these works to the humanist heritage of Islam. Anawati Chair 1. Observatory on the fight against extremism On October 2ⁿᵈ, eight researchers from the French section of the Observatory participated in a seminar given by Dʳ. Ali Mostfa (UCLy) at IDEO on the topic of “Words Surrounding Islam in Debate: Semantic Issues and Discursive Derivations.” 2. Editions of Islamic Heritage Texts On October 14ᵗʰ, the IDEO seminar welcomed Dʳ. Ahmed Abdel Basit from the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts (IMA), together with the three postdoctoral researchers at IDEO who are working on the edition of texts from Islamic humanist heritage. Their work contributes to the enhancement of knowledge regarding ethical approaches to medieval Islamic heritage. Dʳ. Mariam Shehata is preparing the edition of The Commentary on al-Ḫuṭba al-Ġarrāʾ of Ibn Sīnā, by Šaraf al-Dīn al-Masʿūdī (6ᵗʰ/12ᵗʰ century).  Dʳ. Ahmed Atiyya is preparing the edition of the book Maḥāsin al-Ġurar fī Manāqib al-Bašar of Abū al-Suʿūd, by Muḥammad Ibn Ǧānī Bek al-Sayfī (10ᵗʰ/16ᵗʰ century). Dʳ. Abdulrahman Bin Khunayfir is preparing the study and critical edition of the manuscript Siyāsat al-Nufūs by Sinān Ibn Ṯābit ibn Qurra (d. 331/943). 3. Conference “The Authority of Silence” – Call for papers As part of the conference “The Authority of Silence: Constructing the Figure of the Salafs (7ᵗʰ-15ᵗʰ Centuries)” to be held on May 2ⁿᵈ and 3ʳᵈ, 2025, in Cairo, we invite researchers wishing to participate to submit an abstract of their proposal before the deadline of January 15ᵗʰ, 2025. For more information, please visit our website… Lectures and talks On October 14ᵗʰ, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP gave a lecture in Tourcoing entitled “Israel-Palestine, One Year After October 7ᵗʰ: Situation and Perspectives”. On October 25ᵗʰ, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP led a training session for volunteers of the Catholic Delegation for Cooperation (DCC) in preparation for their departure to Egypt and the Maghreb”. Visits On October 7ᵗʰ and 8ᵗʰ, we welcomed Ms. Marie Monnet, Rector of Domuni Online University, Ameer Jajé, OP, Director for the Arab World, and Michel Van Aerde, OP. The purpose of this visit was to work on finalizing a Certificate 2 and implementing a Master’s degree in Islamic studies. They were accompanied by Ms. Laure Chocun, Assistant to Ms. Marie Monnet; Ms. Cécile Boucherle, General Secretary of Domuni; and Ms. Justine Pinto, Head of Educational Programs. Scholars’ House During the month of October, we had the pleasure of welcoming to the Scholars’ House: Mr. Onsi Kamel, PhD student in philosophy and religion at Princeton University; Mr. Zoltán Páll, anthropologist specializing in transnational Islamic movements at the Avicenna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies and the Institute of Social Anthropology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna; Mrs. Rocio Daga, professor in religious studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; Mr. Alexandre Coleman, volunteer student at the IDEO library until March 2025; Mrs. Rachida Chih, researcher specializing in Sufism, particularly in the context of Ottoman Egypt, at the Center for Turkish, Ottoman, Balkan, and Central Asian Studies (CETOBaC) at EHESS; Mr. Nicolas Michel, professor of contemporary history at Aix-Marseille University, head of the history department, and corresponding member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Publications Alberto Ambrosio, « Un goût de la danse soufie », Christus 284, octobre 2024, p. 36-42. Dominique Avon, « L’espace public sous la plume de penseurs catholiques et sunnites en milieu méditerranéen au XXᵉ siècle », Questions constitutionnelles. Dominique Avon, « Islam et pensée critique en contexte arabe au XXᵉ siècle. Explorations et sanctions », Recherches de science religieuse 4/112, 2024, p. 553-573. Emmanuel Pisani, « Enjeux théologiques du dialogue 60 ans après Nostra Aetate », Documents épiscopat 10, 2024, p. 31-42. Emmanuel Pisani, « Karim Arezki (dir.), Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Paul Neuenkirchen, Les origines du Coran et de l’islam, St-Légier, HET-PRO, 2022 », Études théologiques et religieuses 3/99, 2024, p. 564-565.

Dennis Halft, OP, Director of MIDEO (2021-2024); Adrien Candiard, OP, Director from October 1ˢᵗ, 2024. MIDEO 39, scheduled to be published this year and dedicated to the 1924 edition of the Qurʾān, is experiencing some delays. And for good reason… it’s a hefty volume, nearly 500 pages. Together with Antoinette Ferrand, our scientific secretary, we are meticulously reviewing the proofs, making sure to catch any lingering typos still hiding in the pages. At the same time, we are working to finalize MIDEO 40. Under the direction of Walid Saleh, Thomas Würtz, and Emmanuel Pisani, this edition will focus on the presence of other religions in tafsīr. All the articles are gathered, and time seems to be on our side to submit the manuscript to the publisher as we have committed to do. Concurrently, we must also finalize the Proceedings of the Abu Dhabi Conference on Human Fraternity, which will be published in the Cahiers du Midéo at the beginning of 2025! Fortunately, Simon Conrad and Amr Zakaria are providing invaluable support to Antoinette, both through their scientific expertise and their diligent proofreading. Thanks to this dedicated team, we should be able to stay on schedule, though it’s quite a pace to kick off the year!! Luckily, after the departure of Dennis Halft, OP who led the Review for three years with remarkable scientific seriousness, we can rely on a new director, Adrien Candiard, OP. We are already grateful for his willingness to take on this new mission, which he will undoubtedly approach with the same seriousness and dedication as his predecessor. Lectures and talks Dennis Halft, OP was appointed as a member of the European Union of Arabists and Islamicists (UEAI) during their 31ˢᵗ congress, held in Granada from September 9ᵗʰ to 12ᵗʰ. During this congress, he gave a lecture entitled “Imāmī Shīʿī-Jewish Encounters in Early Modern Iran: A Persian Translation of the Book of Psalms”. On September 19ᵗʰ, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP gave a lecture in Lille entitled “Christians in a Middle East in Crisis: Situation and Perspective”. On September 24 and 25, Alberto Ambrosio, OP participated in the conference “Venerable Shores, Profane Struggles: Dialogues on Geopolitics and Religion in the Mediterranean”. This conference took place at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, in collaboration with the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies. September 20ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave the inaugural lecture at the Baghdad Academy of Social Sciences, entitled “Bayn al-manhaǧiyya wa-l-ibistimūlūǧiyyā: muqārabat al-adyān wafqan li-l-Ġazālī aw kayfiyyat maʿrifat al-āḫarīn? [Between Methodology and Epistemology, Approach to Religions according to al-Ghazali or How to Understand Others?]”. Scientific Workshop On September 28 and 29, Matthieu Palayret, OP participated in the two-day Workshop on Research Methods in Arabic Studies,  held at the American University in Cairo (AUC). 50ᵗʰ Anniversary of the SNRM On September 12ᵗʰ, Mr. Dominique Avon, Director of Studies at the EPHE, and Jean-François Bour, OP, Director of the SNRM, participated in a day of discussions celebrating the 50ᵗʰ anniversary of the Service National pour les Relations avec les Musulmans (SNRM), formerly known as the SRI. This event was held at the Conference of Bishops of France in Paris. Mr. Dominique Avon gave a talk entitled “Dialogue between Catholics and Muslims: A Historical Perspective”, while Jean-François Bour, OP moderated the round table “The Pastoral Commitment of the Church Today”. Radio program On September 22ⁿᵈ, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP participated in a France Culture radio program entitled Question d’islam discussing the Islamic-Christian pilgrimage of Vieux-Marché, with Mr. Manöel Pénicaud and Mr. Ghaleb Bencheikh. Call for applications The French Institute for Islamic Studies (IFI), the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies (IDEO) and the French Institute for Oriental Archeology (IFAO) have announced a call for applications for a research scholarship in the field of Islamic studies. For more information, please refer to the call for applications in French… Scholars’ House In September, we had the pleasure of welcoming at the Scholars’ House: Ms. Antoinette Ferrand, scientific member at the IFAO and editorial secretary of MIDEO; Ms. Tessa Larivière-Ammari, history student and beneficiary of the annual IFI-IDEO-IFAO Islamic studies scholarship; Mr. Wilhelmus Valkenberg, emeritus professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, working on the reception of Anawati in the Anglo-Saxon world. Publications Jean Jacques Pérennès, « La fondation de l’Institut dominicain d’études orientales : une histoire méditerranéenne », Chemins de dialogue 63, 2024, pp. 181-196. Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen, Le culte des saints musulmans. Des débuts de l’islam à nos jours, Paris, Gallimard, Bibliothèque des Histoires, 2024.