Fathi Osman

Fathi Osman was a prominent Egyptian scholar who advocated for a progressive and pluralistic understanding of Islam. He was born in Minya, Egypt, in 1928 and joined the Muslim Brotherhood in his youth. He later broke away from the group and pursued his academic studies in history and law. He obtained his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University in 1976 and taught at several universities in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the US. He wrote over 40 books in Arabic and English, covering topics such as the Quran, Islamic law, human rights, women’s issues, and interfaith dialogue. He was a pioneer in presenting Islam to the Western audience and engaging with contemporary challenges. He was also a scholar in residence at the Islamic Center of Southern California and a senior scholar at the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement at the University of Southern California. He died in Los Angeles in 2010 at the age of 82. He is survived by his three children and six grandchildren.