Mohammad Salim Al-Awa

{{Short description|Egyptian politician}}

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{{Expand Arabic|topic=bio|date=July 2011}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mohammad Salim Al-Awa

| image = سليم العوا.png

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = 22 December 1942

| birth_place = Alexandria, Egypt.

| death_date =

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| nationality = Egyptian

| other_names =

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| occupation = Lawyer, Professor, Writer and Politician

}}

Mohammad Salim Al-Awa (born December 22, 1942){{Cite web |title=محمد سليم العوا |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221123830/https://www.ikhwan.wiki/index.php?title=%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%A7}} is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered{{by whom|date=July 2013}} to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue,{{cite web|url=http://www.sabanews.net/en/news168389.htm|title=Saba Net - Yemen news agency|publisher=sabanews.net|access-date=September 22, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/813/eg3.htm |title= The power of words |publisher=Al-Ahram Weekly |date=September 27, 2006 |access-date=September 22, 2010}}{{cite web|last=Beals |first=Greg |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129550906 |title=The Root: US Debates About Islam Resonate Overseas |publisher=NPR |access-date=September 22, 2010}} a member of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo, an Advisor to the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States - KSA 1979–1985. He received a PhD in Comparative Law from the University of London 1972.{{Cite web |title=د.محمد سليم العوا |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414071834/https://acarea.com.eg/%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%A7/}} Al-Awa has been called{{by whom|date=July 2013}} one of the few Islamic thinkers who has made a "serious attempt" at "defining what Islamism would mean in a modern society," or "courageously delved into the realities of Islamic history and experimented with new interpretations."Egypt on the Brink by Tarek Osman, Yale University Press, 2010, p.107-8, 214

He is considered one of the symbols of the modern trend in Islam, and his thought is characterized by moderation and focus on dialogue rather than conflict between the Islamic world and the West. He is also an advocate of dialogue and rapprochement between Sunnis and Shia'tes. He defended several members of the Muslim Brotherhood who were imprisoned during the era of Hosni Mubarak. He was one of those who strongly opposed the project of transferring power to Gamal Mubarak. On 14 June 2011, Al-Awa declared his candidacy for the 2012 Egyptian presidential election in September of that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/468110 |title=Islamic thinker decides to run for president |publisher=Almasry Alyoum English Edition |date=14 June 2011 |access-date=22 June 2011}}