Dr. Murad Wilfried Hofmann (b. 1931, Aschaffenburg, Germany) is a prominent Germandiplomat and author. He has authored several books on Islam, including Journey to Makkah(ISBN 0-915957-85-X) and Islam: The Alternative (ISBN 0-915957-71-X). Many of his books and essays focus on Islam's place in the West and, after September 11, in particular, in the United States. He is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding.
Biography
Dr. Hofmann was born a Catholic, but converted to Islam in 1980. His conversion was met with some controversy due to his high profile in the German government. He converted to Islam as a result of what he witnessed in the Algerian War of Independence, his fondness forIslamic art, and what he saw as contradictions in Paulist Christian doctrine.
Dr. Hofmann served in the German Foreign Service from 1961 to 1994. He first served in Algeria as a specialist on issues concerningnuclear defense. He went on to serve as Director of Information for NATO at Brussels from 1983 to 1987, Ambassador to Algeria from 1987 to 1990, and Ambassador to Morocco from 1990 to 1994.
Dr. Hofmann was an honorary member and advisor to the Central Council of Muslims in Germany.
Commendations
Federal Cross of Merit, Germany.
Commander of the Order of Merit, Italy.
Order of Merit in the Arts and Sciences, 1st Class, Egypt.
Grand Cordon
Publications
1973 Of Beauty and the Dance: Towards an Aesthetics of Ballet, in: Three Essays in Dance Aesthetic, Dance Perspectives No. 55, New York
1981 Wie MBFR begann, in: Im Dienste Deutschland und des Rechtes, Festschrift für Wilhelm G. Grewe, Nomos, Baden-Baden
1984 Is NATO's Defence Policy facing a Crisis?, in: Non-Nuclear War in Europe, Groningen University Press, Groningen
1981 Ein philosophischer Weg zum Islam
1984 Zur Rolle der islamischen Philosophie
1985 Tagebuch eines deutschen Muslims
1992 Der Islam als Alternative, Diederichs, ISBN 3-424-01114-2
1996 Reise nach Mekka, Diederichs, ISBN 3-424-01308-0
1998 Überarbeitung der Koranübersetzung von Max Henning, Istanbul und München
2000 Der Islam im 3. Jahrtausend, Diederichs-Hugendubel, ISBN 3-7205-2124-9
2008 - 'Mustaqbal al-Islam fī al-Gharb wa-al-Sharq' [The Future of Islam in the West and the East], co-authored with cAbd al-Majid al-Sharafī, published by Dar al-Fikr in Damascus, 2008
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