Ahmed Subhy Mansour - Biography

Biography

Mansoor received his junior middle school education in 1964, and ranked second in the Republic on the national exam. He graduated from Al-Azhar Secondary School, in Sharkeya, Egypt, in 1969, and ranked fourth in country on the national university entrance examination. He then attended Al-Azhar University in Cairo, a prestigious Sunni religious university. There he studied Muslim History, earning his B.A with Highest Honors in 1973, his M.A. with Honors in 1975, and his Ph.D with Highest Honors in 1980.

He founded a small Egyptian sect the Quranists, who believe: the Quran is the sole source of Islam and its laws (they reject hadith, or reported traditions of Muhammad), is comprehensive and completely sufficient in itself, was revealed to Mohamed to clarify all controversial and mysterious religious issues, was Mohamed’s only tradition and he was ordered to abide by it alone, and Islam is the religion of peace, mercy, justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Its fundamental principles put it squarely at odds with mainstream Islam, which unanimously holds the example of its Prophet to be a part of the religion.

From 1973–80 he was an Assistant Teacher and Lecturer, from 1980–87 he was Assistant Professor, of Muslim History in the College of Arabic Language at Al Azhar University.

In May 1985, Mansour was discharged from his teaching and research position in Egypt due to his liberal views, which were not acceptable to the religious authorities who controlled much of university policies and programs. Because of his unconventional scholarship, Al-Azhar University accused him of being an enemy of Islam. He was tried in its canonical court, and expelled March 17, 1987. In 1987, beginning with his arrest on November 17, and in 1988 he was imprisoned by the Egyptian government for his views, including his advocacy of religious harmony and tolerance between Egyptian Muslims, Christian Copts, and Jews.

In 1991–92, he worked with Farag Foda to establish a new political party in Egypt, Mostakbal ("The Future Party"), dedicated to a secular democratic state, and to defend the Christian Egyptians. Foda was assassinated in June 1992.

From 1994–96, he was a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, which worked to protect Egyptians from human rights offenses. In 1996, Mansour established a weekly conference at the Ibn Khaldoun Center – headed by Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim – in order to discuss Islamist dogma, religion-based terror, and other issues. It functioned until June 2000, when the Center was closed down by the Egyptian government and Ibrahim was arrested.

Mansour sought and was granted political asylum in the United States in 2002.

From September 28, 2009 to September 27, 2010 Dr. Mansour served as a Fellow at The US Commission on International Religious Freedom. From September 7, 2010 to May,2011, Dr. Mansour served as fellow at The Woodrow Wilson Center.

In April 13, 2011 Dr. Mansour served as a witness at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on Terrorism, HUMINT, Analysis, and Counterintelligence,where he presented his expert opinion on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi groups in Egypt and the Muslim World. (Website: http://intelligence.house.gov/sites/intelligence.house.gov/files/documents/SFR20110413Mansour.pdf)