H.E. Ali Hassan Mwinyi

King Faisal Prize in Service to Islam 2022 Laureate

History has shown us that leadership manifests itself in many forms; from the great orator who can move a crowd to the community worker who works quietly and steadily to ease the suffering of those around them

Nationality: Tanzania

Born: May 8, 1925, Pwani, United Republic of Tanzania

H.E. Ali Mwinyi was awarded the prize for leading his country during his presidential tenure, bringing about Tanzania’s liberation from colonialism and socialism. He introduced partisan pluralism and established a number of Islamic societal and institutional laws in the country. He actively participated in Islamic advocacy, as he strived to spread the spirit of religious tolerance. He established Islamic schools, and translated many resources and references in hadith, jurisprudence and Prophet Mohammad’s biography into Swahili, the language spoken by millions of people in East Africa. He was interested in educating Muslims, raising their educational and social standing, and improving their economic conditions. He projected a successful role model in guiding his country towards reform.

Biography

Laureate's Honoring

Laureate's Interview

Laureate's Certificate & Speech

Laureate's Lectures

Biography

Ali Mwinyi received his primary education in the western Zanzibar region, and then joined the Maikendani School, west of Zanzibar, to complete his secondary education. Then, he joined the Institute of Education at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a teaching diploma, worked as a teacher and then as a director of a number of schools, as a director of the Zanzibar College for Teaching Training in the western region of Zanzibar; he received a doctorate in arts from the Open University of Tanzania, and obtained a doctorate in Philosophy of Business Administration from East African University in Kenya before deciding to enter politics.

He held several government positions, as a Minister of Interior, then as a Vice President of the former Tanzanian Julius Nyerere, and then as a President of the Republic from 1985 to 1995, and during his rule, Tanzania took the first steps to liberate itself from socialism.

During his second term, he introduced a multi-party system, which had many positive aspects to life in Tanzania, both politically and socially. He was able to turn his country into a free country, and that individual freedom was one of the important beliefs. President Mwinyi is still an active personality and a participant in many Islamic and national activities. He was awarded the Master Julius Nyerere Kambaraj Medal (Tanzania), and received an honorary doctorate from the International University of Africa – Sudan in 2015.

This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.

Laureate's Honoring