Newsletter March 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

Kalidou Kassé, Porte de l’espoir (Dakar). Although geographically situated at the crossroads of the Near East, bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, Egypt remains on the African continent. Inspired by this unique position, we wanted to offer and share our expertise in Islamic studies, hoping to enrich research and deepen its implications for Islamic-Christian dialogue. It was in this spirit that IDEO organized an international seminar on this topic in the Diocese of Dakar last November, at the invitation of Mgr André Gueye, Bishop of Thiès and with the support of Aid to the Church in Need (AED) Representatives from fifteen nations attended, with several academic institutions and research centers dedicated to dialogue affirming their mutual commitment. The event was significant for the participation of numerous former students from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) and the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions (ISTR) in Paris, who shared with their peers the fruits of their reflections and field experiences. Discussions included the Akbarian doctrine of waḥdat al-wuǧūd (the unity of being) as a potential foundation for building ontological fraternity, while Surah 112, al-Iḫlāṣ (The Pure Sincerity), revealed its potential as a basis for dialogue. In her contribution, “Religion, Religions, and Conflicts”, philosopher Ramatoulaye Diagne Mbengue, Rector of Iba Der Thiam University in Thiès, drew upon the Qurʾān, invoking the thought of Léopold Sédar Senghor and Leibniz’s conception of universality. African religious traditions were also highlighted as a common cultural foundation beyond religious differences. However, the discussions also revealed the impact of modernity, which often marginalizes or dissolves traditional legacies. The debate on the role of women as a vector for conflict resolution revealed, in this regard, the clash of perspectives between male and female participants. The seminar fostered fruitful exchanges and a heartening encounter with Sheikh Omar Tall. Idéo is pleased with this modest yet essential contribution to the pursuit of sincere dialogue and peacebuilding on a continent beset by too much violence. Lectures and talks On November 5ᵗʰ, Dennis Halft, OP gave a lecture entitled “Jewish-Muslim Encounter in Iran at the Beginning of the Early Modern Period: A Jewish Translation of the Psalms into Persian”, at the Society for the Study of Religions at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. On November 8ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a lecture at the Lebret Center in Dakar on the topic of “The Current state of Dominican Presence in the Muslim East”, in partnership with the Center for Education, Training, and Documentation on Islamic-Christian Dialogue and Integral Development. From November 11ᵗʰ to 13ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP led the scientific direction of the international conference “Islamic-Christian Dialogue: An Opportunity for Africa”, held at the invitation of the Diocese of Thiès. He presented the main topic and delivered the final synthesis. On November 15ᵗʰ, Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP gave a lecture entitled “Christians and Muslims: What Paths to Encounter?”, at Saint-Pierre in Vieux-Lille. Then, on November 26ᵗʰ, he gave a lecture on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Paris during the plenary session of the National Service for Relations with Muslims (SNRM) of the French Bishops’ Conference. On November 16ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a lecture in Arabic at the conference “Islamic Studies in Catholic Education”, organized by the Franciscan Cultural Center in Cairo, in partnership with PISAI (Rome), Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Centre (Dubai), and the IDEO. His lecture was entitled “Ḥuḍūr al-dūminīkan fī al-Qāhira : muqārabāt tārīḫiyya wa-rihānāt lāhūtīyya  [The Dominican Presence in Cairo: Historical Approaches and Theological Challenges]”. During the conference, Mina-Athanase Abdelmeseh, OP gave a presentation on Brother Emilio Platti, while Adrien Candiard, OP discussed the importance and relevance of studying Ibn Taymiyya for a Dominican brother. On November 28ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP participated in the webinar organized by the Faculty of Theology at UCLy on the 60ᵗʰ anniversary of the encyclical Ecclesiam Suam. He gave the following lecture: “Pope Francis, a Key Player in Ecclesiam Suam”. Scientific workshop On November 6ᵗʰ and 7ᵗʰ, Matthieu Palayret, OP participated in an English-language scientific workshop on Arabic codicology, entitled Arabic Manuscripts and How to Read Them. The workshop was organized by Dr. Olly Akkerman and Professor Petra Sijpesteijn at the Flemish Institute in Cairo (Netherlands-Flemish Institute). Interreligious dialogue From November 21ˢᵗ to 23ʳᵈ, Dennis Halft, OP participated in Rome at the 50ᵗʰ meeting of the Sub-Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the German Bishops’ Conference, where he contributed to discussions on a new working tool for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Germany. Thesis jury On November 4ᵗʰ, Emmanuel Pisani, OP participated as a jury member and first rapporteur in the defense of Mr. Benjamin Kabongo’s thesis entitled “The Evaluation of Theological Issues in the ‘Substitution-Compassion’ Concept in Louis Massignon’s Christian-Muslim Dialogue Theology”. The thesis, directed by Mr. Joseph Ellul, was defended in the presence of Ms. Évelyne Maurice, jury president, and Ms. Claire Reggio, second rapporteur. The candidate was awarded the grade of “very good” for the Doctorate in Religious Studies at the University of Domuni. Visit On November 20ᵗʰ, we welcomed Mr. Ali Abdelhakim, Director of the Islamic Sciences Department at the Faculty of Languages and Translation of Al-Azhar University. He was accompanied by seven other professors. Scholars’ House During the month of November, we had the pleasure of welcoming to the Scholars’ House: Gyöngyi Oroszi and M. Levente Teklovics, PhD students at the Avicenna Institute of Middle Eastern Studies in Piliscsaba, Hungary; Gianluca Parolin, professor of law at the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations at the Aga Khan University; Angeliki Ziaka, professor of the history of religions and interreligious dialogue at the Faculty of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as the interreligious dialogue coordinator for the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Publication Dominique Avon, The Paradigm of “Integral Islam” in Prescriptive Religious Discourse, Trends Researcher & Advisor, October 2024, 31 pages.

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.