Newsletter — November 2016

The visit of ISTR students from Paris provided a valuable opportunity to meet with al-Azhar’s Department of Islamic Studies, headed by Dr. Ali Abdelhakim. It also allowed for a discussion on the Document on Human Fraternity with students from the CEF of al-Azhar, directed by Dr. Mona Sabry. These encounters gave concrete expression to a partnership and made it possible to assess how each side understands dialogue and the kinds of questions they raise. At al-Azhar, for example, a speaker from Paris was asked whether, from his perspective, there exists a Islamic truth and a Christian truth, while another participant asked why European Christian heads of state have declared so many wars if Christianity is a religion of peace. These questions highlight both the urgent necessity and the relevance of such encounters. They reveal more than a simple cultural gap; they raise the question of the possibility of an interreligious dialogue that is neither relativistic nor exclusivist, but genuinely theological. They call for addressing the issue of the unity of truth in the face of the diversity of historical traditions, as well as the possibility of a plurality of religious mediations. From this perspective, dialogue becomes a hermeneutical space in which truth itself is discovered more deeply. The second question introduces an ethical and historical dimension. While it reminds us that religious truth cannot be separated from its historical effects, it also invites, from a theological standpoint, a distinction between the normative content of a faith and the distortions introduced by its adherents. Here again, it is clear that no tradition can claim the truth without acknowledging its own historical ambiguities. Interreligious dialogue often begins where the most challenging questions arise. It is also there that dialogue becomes a theological act in practice: not a compromise, not diplomacy, but a mutual testing of truth claims, oriented toward a broader understanding of the divine mystery. Anawati Chair The “Women and Religions” Certificate was launched with the participation of Ms. Omaima Abou-Bakr, Professor of Comparative English Literature at Cairo University and founding member of the Women and Memory Forum. Her seminar was entitled “Women’s Rights and Legal Provisions within the Islamic and Qur’anic Framework”. Forty students were selected to take part. Training Sessions From April 20 to 23, Emmanuel Pisani, OP taught a 24-hour course in Toulouse at the Institute of Religious and Pastoral Studies (IERP). The topic was “Jesus in Religious Traditions”. During the month of April , Adrien Candiard, OP taught at two universities in Rome: At the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), he taught a 24-hour class called “Speaking about God in Islam: An Introduction to Islamic Theology”, designed for students pursuing a canonical licentiate in theology. At the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), he taught an 18-hour course titled “Lettura di testi di teologia islamica – La questione degli atti umani” [Reading Islamic Theological Texts – The Question of Human Acts], for the Institute’s third-year students. Communication On April 16, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave an online presentation on “Christians in Egypt”, as part of a study day organized by the French Catholic association Œuvre d’Orient. Radio Broadcast On March 25, Mr. Dominique Avon participated in the France Culture program “War in the Middle East: History as a Guide”, in the episode titled “Hezbollah: History of an Armed Organization”. Listen to the program [in French]… Framework Agreement We are happy to announce that IDEO signed a framework agreement with the Al Mowafaqa Ecumenical Institute of Theology in Rabat on April 15, 2026. Visits On April 1, we welcomed Mr. Raymond Chow, Minister-Counsellor of the Singapore Embassy in Cairo. On April 26, as part of a study trip to Egypt by the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions (ISTR) in Paris, IDEO welcomed its director, Father Xavier Gué, along with thirteen students. Emmanuel Pisani, OP, Jean Druel, OP and Mateus Domingues da Silva, OP gave presentations. On April 28, we welcomed a group of students from the Faculty of Theology and Religious Sciences at Lund University. Scholars’ House During the month of April, we were delighted to welcome to the Scholars’ House: Ms. Rocio Daga, Professor of Religious Studies at Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich; Mr. Onsi Kamel, PhD student in Philosophy and Religion at Princeton University; Mr. Nils Fischer, Director of the Near East Unit for the Catholic Academic Exchange Service (KAAD). Publications Guillaume de Vaulx, “French Kiss, Arabic Culture. Ahmad b. al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsī on Love in Light of Rasāʾil Iḫwān al-ṣafā”, Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose 3, 2025, p. 37-84. Michel Cuypers, « Un guide avancé pour l’analyse rhétorique du Coran. L’énigmatique sourate 67, al-Mulk, La Royauté », Academia.edu. Emmanuel Pisani, « Chaire en contexte. Fight against Religious Extremism by Promoting Interfaith Dialogue, l’exemple de la Chaire Anawati de l’Idéo (2023-2027) » ET-Studies, 17/1, 2026, p. 155-165.

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,