Abdel Wahab El-Messiri facts for kids

Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri (born in 1938, died July 2, 2008) was an important Egyptian scholar and writer. He was also a leader in a group called Kefaya, which worked for change in Egypt.

About Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri

Early Life and Education

Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri was born in Damanhur, Egypt. He loved learning from a young age. He went to Alexandria University and earned a degree in English literature in 1959.

He continued his studies in the United States. He received a master's degree from Columbia University in 1964. Later, he earned his PhD from Rutgers University in 1969. Both of his advanced degrees were in English and comparative literature. This means he studied literature from different cultures and languages.

Teaching Career

After finishing his education, El-Messiri became a professor. He taught English and comparative literature at Ain Shams University in Egypt starting in 1988. He was known as a "professor emeritus," which is a special title for retired professors who are highly respected.

He also taught at other universities. These included King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait University in Kuwait. He was also a visiting professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He was considered one of Egypt's most famous thinkers. Many Arab scholars knew his work well.

His Research and Ideas

El-Messiri studied many different topics. He researched the history and ideas of Jewish people and the movement called Zionism. He also looked at how societies think about religion and fairness, a topic known as secularism.

He explored Western culture and how it changed over time. He also studied modernism and postmodernism, which are ways of thinking about art, literature, and society. He wrote about literary theory, which is how we understand and analyze books.

Over his life, his way of thinking changed. He moved from a Western-focused view to one that included modern Islamic ideas. He wrote many articles about his thoughts, like "Chosen Community, an Exceptional Burden." He even wrote books for children.

Major Work: The Encyclopedia

One of his most important works was an eight-volume book series. It was called Encyclopedia of Jews, Judaism and Zionism. He wrote it in Arabic. This wasn't just a collection of facts. It was an in-depth analysis of the Middle East crisis.

The encyclopedia also looked at the history of Jewish people and the history of Zionism. It explored the ideas and goals of the Zionist movement. This huge work showed his deep understanding of these complex topics.

His Passing

Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri passed away on July 2, 2008. He had been battling cancer for a long time. He died at the Palestine Hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

English Language Publications

Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri wrote several books and articles in English. These works helped share his ideas with a wider audience. Some of his notable English publications include:

• Israel, Base of Western Imperialism (1969)
• A Lover from Palestine and Other Poems (1972)
• Israel and South Africa: The Progression of a Relationship (1976)
• The Land of Promise: A Critique of Political Zionism (1977)
• Three Studies in English Literature (1979)
• The Palestinian Wedding: A Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Palestinian Resistance Poetry (editor, 1983)
• A Land of Stone and Thyme: Palestinian Short Stories (co-editor, 1996)
• Epistemological Bias in the Social and Physical Sciences (2006)

See Also

• Arab nationalism