Doctor of History Mohamed Talbi | |
---|---|
محمد الطالبي | |
Born | |
Died | 1 May 2017 Tunis, Tunisia | (aged 95)
Nationality | Tunisian |
Education | Doctorate in History from the Sorbonne University |
Occupation(s) | author, professor, Islamologist |
Employer(s) | University of Tunis, Tunisian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2011-2012) |
Known for | Islamic studies |
Title | Professor |
Movement | Islamic democracy |
Mohamed Talbi ( Arabic: محمد الطالبي), (16 September 1921 [1] – 1 May 2017) was a Tunisian author, professor, and Islamologist. [2]
Talbi was born in Tunis on 16 September 1921, attending school there and going on to study in Paris. [3] Talbi wrote prolifically on a wide range of topics, including the history of the medieval Maghreb, Islam and its relationship with both women and democracy, and Islam's role in the modern world. [4]
Talbi died in Tunis on 1 May 2017. [5]
Talbi spent most of his educational career teaching Mediterranean and North African history. He taught the Institute of Higher Education of Tunis. [6] In 1966, he became the first dean of the School of Letter and Human Sciences of Tunis, [7] as well as chairing the school's history department. He later directed the scientific journal Les Cahiers de Tunisie . [8]
In 1968, Talbi defended his Ph.D. thesis, The Aghlabid Emirate, a political History, at the Sorbonne. It was focused on Tunisia's first Muslim dynasty, [9] addressing especially the history and key role of slavery in the Emirate’s agriculture and economy. [10]
Talbi was appointed president of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts between 2011 and 2012. [11]
On the subject of Islam and democracy, Talbi rejected any direct association between Shura and democracy. [12] He argued that shura originated before Western and Islamic concepts of democracy had even developed, and that the two were not analogous . [13] Talbi also argued that democracy as rule by the people and notions of human rights, religious pluralism, and equality under the law, embodies values which Talbi believed constituted authentic Islam. [14]
Talbi participated in a number of interfaith dialogues with North African and European Christians, but also criticized the practice often. In a 1987 article, Talbi criticized the (at the time) current poverty of Muslim initiatives or even responses to Euro-Arab or Muslim-Christian dialogue. [15] Talbi also explicitly declared Islam to be open to dialogue with other faiths and cultures. [16] Talbi viewed Muslim-Christian dialogue as a significant religious matter. [17]
Ribbon bar | Country | Honour |
---|---|---|
Tunisia | Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic [18] | |
Tunisia | Commander of the Order of Merit [19] | |
Tunisia | Officer of the Order of the Independence [20] | |
France | Officer of the Legion of Honour [21] | |
Spain | Commander of the Order of Civil Merit [22] |
Doctor of History Mohamed Talbi | |
---|---|
محمد الطالبي | |
Born | |
Died | 1 May 2017 Tunis, Tunisia | (aged 95)
Nationality | Tunisian |
Education | Doctorate in History from the Sorbonne University |
Occupation(s) | author, professor, Islamologist |
Employer(s) | University of Tunis, Tunisian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2011-2012) |
Known for | Islamic studies |
Title | Professor |
Movement | Islamic democracy |
Mohamed Talbi ( Arabic: محمد الطالبي), (16 September 1921 [1] – 1 May 2017) was a Tunisian author, professor, and Islamologist. [2]
Talbi was born in Tunis on 16 September 1921, attending school there and going on to study in Paris. [3] Talbi wrote prolifically on a wide range of topics, including the history of the medieval Maghreb, Islam and its relationship with both women and democracy, and Islam's role in the modern world. [4]
Talbi died in Tunis on 1 May 2017. [5]
Talbi spent most of his educational career teaching Mediterranean and North African history. He taught the Institute of Higher Education of Tunis. [6] In 1966, he became the first dean of the School of Letter and Human Sciences of Tunis, [7] as well as chairing the school's history department. He later directed the scientific journal Les Cahiers de Tunisie . [8]
In 1968, Talbi defended his Ph.D. thesis, The Aghlabid Emirate, a political History, at the Sorbonne. It was focused on Tunisia's first Muslim dynasty, [9] addressing especially the history and key role of slavery in the Emirate’s agriculture and economy. [10]
Talbi was appointed president of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts between 2011 and 2012. [11]
On the subject of Islam and democracy, Talbi rejected any direct association between Shura and democracy. [12] He argued that shura originated before Western and Islamic concepts of democracy had even developed, and that the two were not analogous . [13] Talbi also argued that democracy as rule by the people and notions of human rights, religious pluralism, and equality under the law, embodies values which Talbi believed constituted authentic Islam. [14]
Talbi participated in a number of interfaith dialogues with North African and European Christians, but also criticized the practice often. In a 1987 article, Talbi criticized the (at the time) current poverty of Muslim initiatives or even responses to Euro-Arab or Muslim-Christian dialogue. [15] Talbi also explicitly declared Islam to be open to dialogue with other faiths and cultures. [16] Talbi viewed Muslim-Christian dialogue as a significant religious matter. [17]
Ribbon bar | Country | Honour |
---|---|---|
Tunisia | Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic [18] | |
Tunisia | Commander of the Order of Merit [19] | |
Tunisia | Officer of the Order of the Independence [20] | |
France | Officer of the Legion of Honour [21] | |
Spain | Commander of the Order of Civil Merit [22] |