Newsletter — September 2018

It is a fact that several of the foremost specialists in Islamic mysticism have been Catholic priests and religious, from Louis Massignon, Georges Anawati, and Louis Gardet in the last century to Giuseppe Scattolin, a Comboni missionary from the Province of Trento, who passed away on 27 April this year after devoting his entire life to the study of the Egyptian mystical poet Ibn al-Fārid (1181–1235). Father Scattolin was a member of our Institute. Almost instinctively, without relying on elaborate strategies or extensive resources, these religious recognized in Sufism a privileged gateway to understanding Islamic civilization and engaging with Muslims. Their interest, expressed through a vast body of critical editions, translations, and scholarly studies, raises several important questions. Is it possible to enter into the spirituality of another faith while remaining firmly rooted in one’s own? Or does one instead run the risk of unintentionally distorting it? Where should the boundary be drawn between academic research, pastoral ministry, and personal spiritual quest? And how have Muslims—and Sufis in particular—responded to this sustained interest in their doctrines and practices? These questions were at the heart of the conference Priests and Sufis, brilliantly organized by our friend Riccardo Paredi of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. The Anawati Chair gave the conference exceptional visibility by bringing together nearly ninety students and researchers involved in the Chair’s activities. The event demonstrated how this body of scholarship contributes to the advancement of Christian–Muslim dialogue. Read Prof. Martino Diez’s article Anawati Chair: “Of Priest and Sufis” conference On June 6 and 7, under the scientific direction of Mr. Riccardo Paredi, researcher in Islamic studies at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, and in partnership with the University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, the conference “Of Priests and Sufis” was held. See the program… Talks On June 1, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a presentation titled “Ecological Reflection in the Muslim Theologian ʿAbd al-Ǧabbar al-Rifaʿī and its Ethical Consequences for Interreligious Dialogue” as part of the “Religion and Ecology” study day held at the al-Mowafaqa Institute in Rabat. On June 2, Emmanuel Pisani, OP gave a lecture at the al-Mowafaqa Institute to mark the end of the academic year on the topic “Ecology, a New ‘Theological Locus’ for Christian-Muslim Dialogue”. Framework Agreement On June 8, IDEO signed a framework agreement with the Rector of the Omnia Omnibus University of Kinshasa. Field research grants (1 to 3 months) IDEO offers field research grants of one to three months for students in Islamic studies at the Master’s, PhD, or post-doctoral level, who are enrolled in a French university or institute. For more information, see the call for applications (In French)… Introduction to Islamic Studies From June 22 to 26, Jean Druel, OP organized an introductory session on Islamic studies for a group of Jesuit and Elizabethan novices. He delivered a lecture on the history of the Arabic language. Aziz Hilal gave an introduction to the history of Arabic philosophy, and Adrien Candiard, OP presented an introduction to Muslim theology. International Workshop From 2 to 4 June, Matthieu Palayret, op took part in the workshop “Problem Areas, Disciplinary Boundaries, and Scholarly Practice in the Post-Formative Period”, held in Ghent, Belgium. The workshop was organized by Professor Islam Dayeh and his research team as part of the ERC KNOW project on polymathy in the premodern Islamic world. Academic Collaboration On 12 and 13 June, Matthieu Palayret participated in the inaugural events marking the launch of the academic collaboration program between Algeria and the United Kingdom, as well as the inauguration of the Emir Abdelkader Al-Jazairi Chair at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Conferences On June 30 and July 1, Matthieu Palayret, together with Jean Jacques Pérennès, OP and Marie-Dominique Minassian, organized a two-day conference at the Dominican convent of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, on the topic “The Testimony of the Monks of Tibhirine”. The conference marked the thirtieth anniversary of the martyrdom of the monks of Tibhirine. Visits From June 4 to 7, we welcomed Mr. Andreas Lammer, Director of the Avicenna Center in Bochum. From June 7 to 12, we welcomed Dr. Christian Ngazain, Rector of the Omnia Omnibus Catholic University of Kinshasa. Scholars’ House During the month of June, we had the pleasure of welcoming the following researchers to the Scholars’ House: Ms. Hanane Raoui, a Moroccan researcher specializing in Islamic thought and Christian-Muslim dialogue; Mr.  Mehmet Balsever, a Turkish researcher in Islamic studies, whose work focuses particularly on Sufism and Islamic philosophy; Mr. Naveed Sheikh, a professor of international relations at Quaid-i-Azam University, specializing in the relations between religion, politics, and Islam; Mr. Christian Krokus, a theologian and professor of theology, specializing in interreligious dialogue, particularly relations between Christianity and Islam; Mr. Mathis Pineau and Mr. Benoît Lemesle, history students from the University of Angers, as part of their Master’s internship. They were accompanied by Mr. Sami Benkherfallah, their director.

“Women and Religions”. This marks Season III for this certification from the “Anawati Chair”. This year, we changed how we select candidates. Because of artificial intelligence, we no longer know whose writing we are reading, what the students actually think, what their motivations are, if they have any, or if what they write is really just AI-generated text. It is terrible and terrifying. We can feel the rise of homo stultus—the unintelligent human, the one who stops practicing thinking and abandons reason. To resist this trend, we asked the seventy candidates to record a video. This helped us get a better sense of what each person truly “has in their gut” (their real potential). We will use the same approach for the final evaluation of the four seminars. Without reading from a script, students will have to answer questions like: What did you discover during this training? What changed your perspective and your understanding of reality, or of how the place of women in religions has evolved? For now, this should still allow us to evaluate what substantial knowledge the training has given them. In any case, we were able to help the students dive into different religious worlds, opening them up to religious traditions without using a comparative or apologetic approach. This is what we do at IDEO, and through these training programs, we pass on an approach to younger Egyptian generations that opens the door to the fundamentals of dialogue. Anawati Chair: “Women and Religions” Certificate On April 17, Ms. Oumaima Abou Bakr, Professor of Comparative English Literature at the Cairo University and founding member of the Women and Memory Forum, delivered a lecture on “Women’s Rights and Legal Provisions within the Islamic and Qurʾānic Framework”. Watch the video… On May 1, Sister Yara Matta, Director of the Institute of Religious Studies, led a seminar on “Women in Christianity”. Watch the video… On May 8, Mr. Faouzi Bedoui, Professor of Jewish Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Manouba, gave a lecture entitled “Women in Judaism”. Watch the video… Finally, on May 15, Ms. Raja Ben Slama, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities of the University of Manouba, concluded the certificate program with a lecture on “Religious Patriarchy and Women: Psychoanalytic Approaches”. Lectures and presentations On May 2, Emmanuel Pisani, OP delivered a lecture at IDEO entitled “El-fann al-dīnī fī galarriyāt al-fann fī el-Zamalek” [Religious Art in the Art Galleries of Zamalek]. On May 20, Adrien Candiard, OP gave a lecture entitled “War and Peace in Islam” as part of the IDEO Gala. On May 29–30, Adrien Candiard, OP led a session at the Catholic University of West Africa in Thies, Senegal, entitled “Radicalism in Islam: From Its Origins to the Present Day”. NWO-Vidi project doctoral scholarship As part of the NWO-Vidi Project “The Art of Dying in Islamic Traditions (600–1800)”, led by researcher Pieter Coppens, a fully funded four-year PhD scholarship is being offered (4-year funded PhD opportunity). IDEO field research grants IDEO offers field research grants of one to three months for students of Islamic studies at the Master’s or PhD level, as well as postdoctoral researchers, enrolled at a French university or institute. The grant covers: Travel: round-trip ticket and airport transfer (up to €700) Accommodation: a fully equipped room with private bathroom, air conditioning, and breakfast at the IDEO Scholars’ House Academic access: access to the IDEO library, seminars, and conferences To apply, candidates should submit the following documents: A detailed Curriculum Vitae A research project (3–4 pages) for a Master’s thesis, PhD dissertation, or postdoctoral research Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For further information or to apply, please contact: direction@ideo-cairo.org. Interview Emmanuel Pisani, OP was interviewed by Dr. Ziyad Farrouh of the Observatory for the Fight against Extremism as part of a special dossier on “Awakening Youth Consciousness”: Un Pas En Avant, No. 16, April 2026, pp. 8–15. The Friends of IDEO On Thursday, May 28, the Board of Directors meeting and the General Assembly of the Friends of IDEO were held at the Saint-Jacques Convent in Paris. IDEO Fundraising gala On May 20, we organized a Fundraising Gala that brought together 96 participants, in the presence of His Excellency the French Ambassador, Éric Chevallier. Scholars’ House During the month of May, we had the pleasure of welcoming the following researchers to the Scholars’ House: Ms. Aiswarya Sanath, Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology; Mr. Nadir Boudjellal, PhD student in Arabic, Medieval, and Modern Studies at the French Institute of the Near East (Ifpo); Ms. Poorvi Bellur, PhD student at Princeton University, working in global history, anti-colonial solidarities, and imperialism in the 19ᵗʰ and 20tᵗʰ centuries, with a particular focus on the British Empire in South Asia and Egypt. Publication Emmanuel Pisani, “Vers une théologie islamique du dialogue interreligieux ? Une lecture critique d’al-kalām al-ǧadīd de ʿAbd al-Ǧabbār al-Rifāʿī”, Laval Théologique Philosophique 82, no. 1, 2026, p. 49-68.

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 Qurʾānic 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.