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The Journey of Liberalism in Egypt in the Twentieth View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The University of Utah: J. Willard Marriott Digital Library THE JOURNEY OF LIBERALISM IN EGYPT IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: FROM AHMAD AMIN TO HUSAYN AHMAD AMIN by Makoto Mizutani A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Middle East Studies/History Department of Languages and Literature The University of Utah December 2010 UMI Number: 3426878 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3426878 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 Copyright © Makoto Mizutani 2010 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF DISSERTATION APPROVAL The dissertation of Makoto Mizutani has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: Peter Sluglett , Chair September 8, 2010 Date Approved Peter von Sivers , Member September 8, 2010 Date Approved M. Hakan Yavuz , Member September 8, 2010 Date Approved Chibli Mallat , Member September 8, 2010 Date Approved Asaad Al-Saleh , Member September 8, 2010 Date Approved and by Bahman Baktiari , Chair of the Department of Middle East Center and by Charles A. Wight, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT Ahmad Amin (1886-1954) was a well established historian and a liberal thinker on the issue of cultural reform. His son, Husayn (1932-), is also widely known for his argument against the Islamic radicalism, particularly from the angle of a historian and a judiciary. Their roles and contributions could be assessed in their respective societies, just as they could be evaluated together as in a journey of liberalism. The manner in which various discussions were carried out by the two differs on each topic; the father elaborated a lot on the concept of religious belief, whereas the son seemed to have relied upon it. The son was critical about a historical role played by Sufism but he also appreciated highly its contribution before the tenth century, thus avoiding a clash with the father. Both the father and the son tend to take a position of the middle way on various questions, including that of the application of the Shari‘a, stressing a vital importance of the personal interpretation or ijtihad. As viewed from a broader spectrum, the son reflects the legacy from the father as a liberal, though its connotation is somewhat different from the Western context. Also both are students of history in their zeal to maintain an objective stand toward historical events. At the same time, they reflect the change of their respective times, thus composing a paradigm shift: the father’s Arab-Islamic perspective and the son’s one nation perspective, after all Arab states are sovereign and independent by the end of the twentieth century. On the international arena, however, a much wider Islamic reformation seems to be taking place, involving all the Arab and non-Arab Muslims and all those in Islamic lands or in diasporas. Liberalism in Egypt ought to be seen in this broader context as well, which might provide us with some clue to the future of the contemporary Islamic thoughts. For the sake of this study, abundant Arabic sources are employed including nearly one thousand essays and short articles written by both writers as well as many other critics about them. These articles were and still are a very useful means of presenting views and opinions to the public who found it more accessible than bulky books in the modern Arab world. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 Aim and Approach of this Study...................................................................... 1 Outline of the Two Writers ............................................................................................... 7 Review of the Literature.................................................................................................. 16 II. AHMAD AMIN AND HIS TIME...................................................................................28 An Era of National Uprisings......................................................................................... 28 The Egyptian “Renaissance” and its Aftermath .............................................. 33 A Rapid Shift Since the 1930s ..................................................................44 III. HUSAYN AHMAD AMIN AND HIS TIME..........................................................51 From Nasser to Sadat ....................................................................................................... 51 The Era of Mubarak.......................................................................................................... 54 Husayn Ahmad Amin’s Milieu among Liberals............................................................ 57 IV. THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE THOUGHT OF AHMAD AND HUSAYN AMIN..................................................................................................................78 Paradigm Shift.............................................................................................................78 Fragile Optimism vs. Deep Sorrow...........................................................................86 Family as a Network...................................................................................................90 V. DISCUSSIONS OF ISLAM.........................................................................................97 Religious Belief .......................................................................................97 Islamic Studies....................................................................................... 105 Application of the Shari’a...................................................................... 119 VI. DISCUSSIONS OF CIVILIZATION...................................................................128 Western Civilization as a Challenge ...................................................... 128 Easternism............................................................................................. 151 VII. DISCUSSIONS OF POLITICS ..............................................................................156 Ahmad and Public Enlightenment.......................................................... 156 Husayn and Islamic Radicalism............................................................. 173 A Shift in Balance.................................................................................. 182 VIII. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................184 From Father to Son: Microlevel and Macrolevel .................................... 184 The Currents of Liberalism, Secularism and Democracy..............................189 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................... 196 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I should like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Peter Sluglett, for his warm guidance as well as to all the other members of the Supervisory Committee who offered me kind advices. Many thanks also go to those who helped me always generously, including Ms. June Marvel of the Middle East Center, and Dr. Leonard Chiarelli of the Marriott Library. Without their assistance, the work would not have been as it is now. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Aim and Approach of this Study Ahmad Amin (1886-1954) is widely known as one of the leading intellectuals in modern Egypt. His thoughts were unique and innovative, extending to various areas including Islam, politics and civilizations.1 Some thirty years after his death, his son, Husayn Ahmad Amin (b. 1932), has taken over some of the tasks his father left unfinished. Husayn himself is now a very popular writer, particularly on Islamic subjects. This study aims, first, to look into some of the main features of Ahmad Amin’s thought in historical context, with special emphasis on questions relating to Islam, politics and civilization. Secondly, attention will be drawn to some of the arguments advanced by Husayn Ahmad Amin, centering on the issues of Islamic law and national development. His father was a member of the first generation of post–WW I liberals and Husayn is marching under much the same banner. On major issues, the discussion will follow thematic arrangements as well. How are these two individuals’ thoughts associated, and to what 1 That Ahmad Amin was ‘unique and innovative’ will be amply shown through a close reading of his work, although he is often regarded as a mild thinker. 2 extent has the son developed his father’s ideas? How can we assess the contributions of the two ideologues in the swift currents of Egyptian society?
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