Mr. Mohammad El-Sammak

Mr. Mohammad El-Sammak was born in 1939 in Beirut, Lebanon. He studied in the schools of Al-Maqasid Islamic Society and continued his graduate studies at the American University of Beirut and then at the Lebanese American University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in the humanities. He began his work as a journalist during which tenure he wrote about Islamic thought, authored many books, and devoted himself to developing studies on this subject, which were published in a collection of books. Besides, he gave many lectures and seminars across national, Arab, and international platforms.

Mr. El-Sammak held several positions. He worked as an advisor to the late Lebanese President Rafik Hariri. He also held the position of advisor to the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic. His work in interfaith dialogue (Islam and Christianity) earned him membership on the Board of Directors of The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). He was equally a member of several bodies and institutions, namely member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Member of the Council of Al-Bayt Foundation (Amman – Jordan), member of the Board of Trustees of Al-Maqasid Islamic Society (Beirut), member of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies (Abu Dhabi).

Mr. El-Sammak served as the Secretary General of dialogue-based institutions, including the National Islamic-Christian Dialogue Committee (Lebanon), the Arab Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue, and Religion for Peace (New York).

He participated as a representative of the Muslims of Lebanon in the Synod held in the Vatican under the chairmanship of Pope John Paul II 1993. He also participated in the Synod Conference on the Middle East, which was held under the chairmanship of Pope Benedict XVI 2010. He was the only Muslim participating in that synod.

His most prominent books comprise “The Arab Decision in the Lebanese Crisis,” “Prophecy and Politics,” “Essays on Coexistence,” “The Middle East Crisis, Whereto?”, “Reflections on Man, Religion, and Politics,” “The Position of Islam in the Clash of Civilizations,” “The Position of Islam in the Dialogue of Civilizations,” “Introduction to the Islamic-Christian Dialogue,” “Religion in the American Decision-making,” “Al-Quds (Jerusalem) before it is too Late,” “Muslims and Contemporary Challenges,” “When the Muslims Occupied the Alps “, “Essays on the Dialogue of Civilizations”, “The Vatican and Relations with Islam”, “Islam and Eastern Christians”.

Mr. El-Sammak was awarded medals of appreciation from Italy, the Vatican, and Jordan, as well as many American and European dialogical institutions.

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