Ahmed Subhy Mansour: Difference between revisions

'''Ahmed Subhy Mansour''' ({{lang-ar|أحمد صبحي منصور}}; born March 1, 1949) is an [[Egyptian Americans|Egyptian American]] [[activist]] and [[Quranist]] scholar dealing with [[Islamic history]], [[Islamic culture|culture]], [[Islamic theology|theology]], and [[Islamic politics|politics]].<ref name="ahl-alquran1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/aboutus.php |title=About Us |publisher=Ahl-alquran.com |accessdate=February 6, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100131020530/http://ahl-alquran.com/English/aboutus.php| archivedate= 31 January 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> He founded a small Egyptian Quranist group that is neither [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] nor [[Shia Islam|Shia]]. In 1987, he was fired from [[Al-Azhar University]] after expressing his Quranist views. One of his fellow Islamic scholars at Al-Azhar University, Sheikh Jamal Tahir, took up the same Quran alone stance.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q0RgmKbBEuUC&q=Quranist&pg=PA47 | title=Ground Zero Mosque: The Confessions of a Western-Middle-Eastern Muslim | publisher=AuthorHouse | author=Naf, Waleed | year=2011 | page=47 | isbn=978-1456739089 | access-date=2020-10-14 | archive-date=2022-03-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320192301/https://books.google.com/books?id=q0RgmKbBEuUC&q=Quranist&pg=PA47 | url-status=live }}</ref> Mansour was [[exile]]d from Egypt, and lives in the United States as a political refugee.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/838653591.html?dids=838653591:838653591&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+13%2C+2005&author=Don+Oldenburg&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Muslims'+Unheralded+Messenger%3B+Antiterrorism+Group+Founder+Hopes+To+Rally+a+Crowd&pqatl=google |title=Muslims' Unheralded Messenger; Antiterrorism Group Founder Hopes To Rally a Crowd |date= |accessdateaccess-date=February 6, 2010 |archive-date=March 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311191532/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/838653591.html?dids=838653591%3A838653591&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=May+13%2C+2005&author=Don+Oldenburg&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Muslims%27+Unheralded+Messenger%3B+Antiterrorism+Group+Founder+Hopes+To+Rally+a+Crowd&pqatl=google |url-status=livedead }}</ref> In the United States, he established the ''Ahl-Alquran'' website.<ref>https://timep.org/2021/06/02/egypts-officials-dont-see-unrecognized-religious-minorities/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>

In October 2004, he said that the leaders of the Muslim organization behind a new $22 million mosque in [[Roxbury, Boston|Roxbury]] tolerated "hateful views", and harbored extremists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/708270511.html?dids=708270511:708270511&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+06%2C+2004&author=TOM+MASHBERG&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Double+slam+for+Islam%3B+Hub+mosque%2C+Muslim+radicals+under+fire&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713184704/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/708270511.html?dids=708270511:708270511&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+06,+2004&author=TOM+MASHBERG&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Double+slam+for+Islam;+Hub+mosque,+Muslim+radicals+under+fire&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |title=Double slam for Islam; Hub mosque, Muslim radicals under fire |date=October 6, 2004 |accessdate=February 6, 2010}}</ref> In 2004 [[Daniel Pipes]] lauded him for speaking out against [[Islamism|Islamist]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nysun.com/foreign/identifying-moderate-muslims/5248/ |title=Identifying Moderate Muslims – November 23, 2004 – The New York Sun |publisher=Nysun.com |date=November 23, 2004 |accessdate=February 6, 2010 |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604223734/http://www.nysun.com/foreign/identifying-moderate-muslims/5248/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U_AyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6904,6061756&dq=free-muslim-coalition+mansour&hl=en|title=The Free Lance-Star – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2017-11-30|archive-date=2022-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320192303/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U_AyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6904%2C6061756&dq=free-muslim-coalition+mansour&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

He is a co-founder and board member of [[Americans for Peace and Tolerance]], along with political activist [[Charles Jacobs (political activist)|Charles Jacobs]] and [[Boston College]] political science professor [[Dennis Hale (political scientist)|Dennis Hale]] (an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] layman).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/28/at_mosque_opening_tensions_permeate_interfaith_gathering/?page=2 |title=At mosque opening, tensions permeate interfaith gathering – The Boston Globe |publisher=Boston.com |date=June 28, 2009 |accessdate=February 6, 2010 |first=Michael |last=Paulson |archive-date=July 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703085546/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/28/at_mosque_opening_tensions_permeate_interfaith_gathering/?page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> It states its purpose to "promote peaceful coexistence in an ethnically diverse America by educating the American public about the need for a moderate political leadership that supports tolerance and core American values in communities across the nation."<ref name=" Ame" >{{cite news |url=http://www.peaceandtolerance.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=14 |title=Mission and About Us |work=Americans for Peace and Tolerance |date=November 20, 2008 |accessdate=February 2, 2010 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320161151/https://www.peaceandtolerance.org/?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=14 |url-status=live }}</ref> The group is a primary critic of the $15.6 million mosque in [[Roxbury Crossings]], which the group asserts is led by extremist leaders and contributors.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/26/muslim_community_to_celebrate_mosque8217s_ceremonial_opening/ |title=Muslim community to celebrate mosque's ceremonial opening – The Boston Globe |publisher=Boston.com |date=June 26, 2009 |accessdate=February 6, 2010 |first=Michael |last=Paulson |archive-date=June 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629183250/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/26/muslim_community_to_celebrate_mosque8217s_ceremonial_opening/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url= |url-status= |archive-date= |title=Boston area Jews split on Tamir. Russian emigrants demand Israeli envoy's recall, while mainstream groups support him |journal= Jerusalem Post |date=August 11, 2009 |accessdate=}}</ref> Mansour said: "I visited this mosque one time with my wife. I found their Arabic materials full of hatred against America. I recognized they were Wahhabis."<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/national/in-2002-kerry-welcomed-boston-mosque-now/3627/ Lake, Eli, "In 2002, Kerry Welcomed Boston Mosque Now Suspected of Ties to Wahhabism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604224751/http://www.nysun.com/national/in-2002-kerry-welcomed-boston-mosque-now/3627/ |date=2011-06-04 }}, ''[[The New York Sun]]'', October 22, 2004, accessed February 4, 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/01/01/questions_the_islamic_society_should_answer/ Jacoby, Jeff, "Questions the Islamic Society should answer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722010240/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/01/01/questions_the_islamic_society_should_answer/ |date=2010-07-22 }}, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', January 1, 2006, accessed February 4, 2010</ref> The Islamic Society of Boston sued him over his attacks on anti-American and anti-Semitic statements he said he read and heard inside the society's mosque.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/03/muslim_scholars_in_us_push_for_change/ Radin, Charles A., "Muslim scholars in US push for change; Seek harmony between Islamic, democratic values"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512032456/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/03/muslim_scholars_in_us_push_for_change/ |date=2011-05-12 }}, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', April 3, 2006, accessed February 4, 2010</ref> He is also a founder and board member (since October 2004) of Citizens for Peace and Tolerance.<ref name="ahl-alquran1"/>