Ahmed Subhy Mansour

Ahmed Subhy Mansour (Egypt)

"Mansour is an Egyptian national and a leading scholar on the Koran, and in particular, Islamic law, democracy and human rights. He is a former assistant professor at Al Azhar University and former Visiting Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, in Washington D.C. He has served as religious counselor for Egyptian NGOs working in human rights and civil society and has published over twenty books and literally hundreds of editorial pieces. Mansour has been deeply involved in efforts to reform religious education to foster human rights and promote tolerance, in conjunction with the Ibn Khaldoun Center. Last year, facing persecution at home, Mansour fled to the United States where he was granted political asylum. While at Harvard, Mansour is working with HRP and Islamic Legal Studies on the development of an Islamic curriculum that respects both human rights and American culture. Mansour seeks to structure academic programs for Muslim youth, primarily in this country, in ways consistent with both Islamic thought and western values."

• President, International Quranic Center
• Former Visiting Fellow, Harvard Law School Human Rights Program
• Cofounder, Center for Islamic Pluralism