Sadiq Jalal al-Azm

Sadiq Jalal al-Azm was a Syrian intellectual, philosopher, and political activist. He was known for his critique of religious thought, his defense of materialism and history, and his advocacy of human rights and democracy. He was one of the leading voices of the Damascus Spring movement in 2000, and he supported the Syrian uprising in 2011. He was also a prolific writer and lecturer, who published several books and articles on various topics, such as Orientalism, Islam, secularism, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He received many awards and honors for his contributions, such as the Erasmus Prize, the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize, and the Goethe Medal. He died in Berlin in 2016 after a long battle with cancer.