Abdelwahab Meddeb

Abdelwahab Meddeb (* 1946 in Tunis, Arabic عبد الوهاب المدب ) is a Tunisian- French author and Muslim critics of Islam Tunisian origin. He lives in Paris and in Spain.

Meddeb, son of an alim, a high theologians, founded in the 9th century Islamic Zitouna University, immigrated at a young age from Tunisia to France. There he studied literature and art history at the universities of Paris and Aix -Marseille. Then he found employment as an editor in the publishing house Editions du Seuil. He founded an international magazine called " Dédale " ( Daedalus ), but at the same time refused a professorship in Comparative Literature at the University of Paris X from. From 1974 to 1988, he oversaw own literary series at the Sindbad Editions. Today he is a guest lecturer at several universities, including Yale and Geneva. Meddeb staff of the show " Cultures d' Islam " of the radio station " France Culture ". In Germany Meddeb was known for his publications in the newspaper culture Lettre International.

Transculturality and Criticism of Islam

Meddeb is particularly attentive to what he calls his " dual origin " as Europeans and Muslim, French and Arabs. In addition to the spatial it exceeds the limits of time obligations. In his work he goes back to the pre-Socratic philosophy, Sufism, in Arabic, Persian and European poets of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as classics from China and Japan. Of particular importance are the writings of Ibn Arabî, Averroes, Dante, Nietzsche and Thomas Mann for him.

Meddeb is keen to current contemporary events. After September 11, 2001, he immersed himself in issues of multiculturalism, integration and Islamism. Discharge which is his book La maladie de l' Islam ( German: "The disease of Islam", 2002), for which he received the Literature Award " François Mauriac " and led to heated debates within the Islamic world, but also in Europe. In 2007 he was awarded the "Prix International de francophonie Benjamin Fondane " for his book " Contre- prêches ", " Between Europe and Islam ( 15 Towards sermons )" ( 2007). In German, his novels " Talismano " (1993) and appeared " Aya " (1998).

After conservative Muslims perceived as provocative lecture by Pope Benedict XVI. at the University of Regensburg on 12 September 2006 Meddeb has, in spite of content provided criticism behind the Pope: "He must not mitigate the dispute and be intimidated He has already apologized too. . " (see the interview with TIME No. 39 of 21 September 2006). Meddeb favor of accession of Turkey to the European Union and is convinced that " a democratic Islam just as possible ( is ) as a democratic Christianity. " ( TIME interview, supra).

• Between Europe and Islam ( 115 Item sermons ), Heidelberg 2007, publishing Wunderhorn
• Ibn arabis grave ( poems), Heidelberg 2004, publishing Wunderhorn
• The Malady of Islam, Wunderhorn, Heidelberg 2002, ISBN 3-88423-201-0; as a Union -TB 396, Zurich 2007, ISBN 978-3-293-20396-9.
• Aya (novel ), Heidelberg 1998, publishing Wunderhorn
• Talismano (novel ), Heidelberg 1993, publishing Wunderhorn

Publications in journals

• The Qur'an as a myth: Naive truths darkness of sense, infinite interpretation, in Lettre International 73, Summer 2006 ( German edition ) online
• Islam and the Enlightenment: theologians and philosophers in conflict about tradition and modernity, in Lettre International 73, summer 2006
• The origin of the world. The ravages of meaning between Orient and Occident (excerpt), in Lettre International 89, Summer 2010
• Liberation from Islamism. As one can offer the discourse of Wahhabis and Salafis Paroli, in: Lettre International, LI 100, Spring 2013