Enlightenment in Colonial Egypt: Ahmad Lutfi Al-Sayyid in His Generation - Hardcover

by Israel Gershoni (Author), Molly Bernstein (Author)

A study of Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid, widely recognized as the creator of Egyptian nationalism, and his impact on Egyptian culture and history.

Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid (1872-1963) stands among the most creative, impactful intellectuals of modern Egypt and the Middle East. While best known as the architect of Egyptian nationalism, his nationalist endeavor was in fact part of his broader project to bring enlightenment to Egypt under the yoke of British colonialism. Through his articles, editorials, and mentoring, his newspaper al-Jarida became a key forum for the lively debates of the time, ranging from the role of Islam in society to women's inclusion, all toward shaping a unique colonial modernity for his country.

The most comprehensive study of Lutfi, his writing, and his impact, Enlightenment in Colonial Egypt deconstructs the view that he was a covert apologist for empire out of admiration for the liberal aspects of European enlightenment. Lutfi faced this duality head on: He believed it essential to embrace parts of the West's enlightenment values and to decolonize and Egyptianize them in order to establish an authentic, indigenous, Egyptian civilization, appropriate for modernity. Israel Gershoni and Molly Bernstein argue that Lutfi successfully engaged with these most difficult challenges, shaping a detailed plan to implement enlightenment in the Egyptian national context.

Author Biography

Israel Gershoni is a professor emeritus of Middle Eastern History in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University. His more than two dozen books and hundreds of articles have been published in Hebrew, English, Arabic, German, and Italian.

Molly Bernstein is an ifk research fellow at the University of Art and Design Linz in Vienna and an adjunct researcher at Tel Aviv University. Previously, she was opinion editor at Haaretz english. Her research focuses on the intersection of media and narrative in the Middle East, and on the history of literature composed by the Palestinian citizens of Israel.