Sayyid Al-Qimni was a thorn in the side of extremism

Sayyid Al-Qimni, an Egyptian writer and thinker whose works emphasized the importance of critical thinking, was an opponent of extremism who promoted tolerance and supported the separation of religion and the state.
Just hearing the name Al-Qimni, who died on Feb. 6 this year, would be enough for one to remember many of his intellectual debates about Arab and Islamic history. Such debates have often led to clampdowns on scholars and researchers who were accused of infidelity and heresy and had their work confiscated.
Al-Qimni experienced firsthand the bitterness of the debates that could result from freely expressing his position with regards to religion, reason and science, along with the issues of backwardness and their connection to religion. These are very troubling issues that he courageously navigated without worrying about the response his views might trigger in terms of misinterpretation and misunderstanding in a conservative society that is not used to the idea of intellectual freedom or the concept of deviating from popular beliefs.
From ancient times, societies have not progressed without providing an environment compatible with intellectual freedom, which is a political and legal necessity before being a religious and moral necessity. Living in a diverse world is what creates uniqueness and establishes a pattern of free, stable existence. Therefore people such as Al-Qimni, who opposed the norms in a society that only recognizes one opinion, could not but be met with denial, estrangement and persecution.

Sayyid Al-Qimni was one of the most prominent researchers whose work exposed the falsity of extremist groups.

Fares Al-Ghannami

Several Islamic political groups and “preachers on various satellite channels” were among the first people to attack Al-Qimni’s views, accusing him of infidelity, apostasy and deviance. So, instead of confronting his positions with a rational dialogue that would ultimately lead to re-examination of the ideas, scrutiny of the views and acceptance of differences, they closed that door.
They passed judgment on Al-Qimni’s intellectual projects, considering them nihilistic and atheistic. They further insulted the man by highlighting certain sections his books and lectures, isolating them from the general context and presenting them instead in a completely different context so that their audience would find them offensive to the fundamentals of religion. They presented a distorted image of his words that would have been inappropriate for any sane person to state, let alone a Muslim linked to the religion by the bonds of faith.
This approach adopted by some contemporary Islamic groups when judging Al-Qimni’s views raises many questions about the legitimacy of these groups. Did they have educational dimensions in reforming societies, or did they just use religion to achieve abhorrent political goals focused on controlling the people and their choices, and enslaving them?
These groups’ comments about the ideas of Al-Qimni were deep ones based on the exclusion, marginalization and belittling of Egyptian research that stirred the minds of the youth and pushed it to think about the beliefs and illusions that Arab societies have inherited.
The man was an advocate of the rational examination of texts, which is a trend that should be engaged with through a similar approach: In calm, scientific debates. This would show the different other, meaning the West, that Islam is a religion of tolerance and dialogue that accommodates and accepts differences. This would be in line with the Qur’anic guidance that “had God wanted, he would have made people into one nation.” Instead, He wanted them to be different.
Therefore, how does a person dare to defy the will of God, attempt to erase these differences and call on people to coalesce, identify and fuse? A person who even calls, in his advocacy, for the use of violence, hatred and aggression against the other in life and death?
This is what happened to Al-Qimni, whose liberal positions disturbed the members of some Islamic groups that were not able to accept differing ideas or his belief in tolerance through communication and openness. As a result, these groups experienced a setback as they fell into the trap of extremism and isolated themselves from the issues of reality.
Al-Qimni was one of the most prominent researchers whose work exposed the falsity of extremist groups. He even tried to dismantle the hidden extremism that used to emanate from some religious institutions.

• Fares Al-Ghannami is a Saudi writer and intellectual interested in political affairs. Twitter: @farescom200