Draft:Mounir Shafiq

Munir Shafiq: A Comprehensive Biography

Personal Information

Name: Munir Shafiq Asal (Arabic: منير شفيق عسل)

Birth: 1936 (age 87–88), Qatamon, Jerusalem

Citizenship: State of Palestine

Profession: Writer, Politician, Activist

Languages: Arabic

Introduction

Munir Shafiq (Munīr Shafīq Asal, Arabic: منير شفيق عسل) is a preeminent Palestinian intellectual, strategist, and author whose ideological trajectory—from Marxism to Islamic thought—captures the complex political and intellectual shifts of the 20th-century Arab world. Shafiq’s works traverse a range of disciplines, including philosophy, history, political theory, and Islamic theology (Vision-PD, 2024; Middle East Journal, 2003).

Early Life and Education

Munir Shafiq was born in 1936 in Qatamon, a neighborhood in Jerusalem, into a Christian family. His father, Shafiq Asal, was a lawyer, while his mother was among the earliest graduates of the Teachers’ Institute in 1927 (Al-Zaytouna Centre, 2021). He completed his secondary education in Jerusalem in 1953, earning his high school diploma, before attending Beirut Arab University to study philosophy, psychology, and political science (جامعة بيروت العربية؛ Vision-PD, 2024).

Political Activism and Ideological Evolution

Marxist Beginnings (1952–1967)

Shafiq’s political career began in 1952 when he joined the Jordanian Communist Party (الحزب الشيوعي الأردني). A committed Marxist, he became a key theorist and organizer. His activism led to his imprisonment by Jordanian authorities from 1957 to 1967. During this decade of incarceration, he immersed himself in Marxist ideology and the tactics of revolutionary struggle (Tehran Times, 2022; حفيظ، 2024).

Fatah and Arab Nationalism (1968–1979)

After his release, Shafiq became disillusioned with the Communist Party’s alignment with Moscow, which he perceived as sidelining Arab nationalist interests. He subsequently joined Fatah in 1968, aligning with its leftist wing. Within Fatah, he advocated for armed struggle against Israeli occupation, collaborating with prominent figures such as Najji Aloush and Mohammed Abu Mizr (رغيد الصلح، 1989).

Conversion to Islam (1980s)

The Iranian Revolution and his encounters with Islamic and Marxist intellectuals, including Roger Garaudy, profoundly influenced Shafiq. His eventual conversion to Islam in the early 1980s signaled a philosophical and political shift. Post-conversion, Shafiq became a leading Islamic thinker advocating the synthesis of Arab nationalism and Islamic values (Vision-PD, 2024; Al-Zaytouna Centre, 2021).

Positions Held

General Union of Palestinian Writers and Journalists (اتحاد الكتاب والصحفيين الفلسطينيين) – Head (Al-Zaytouna Centre, 2021).

Planning Center of the PLO (مركز التخطيط) – Director (حفيظ، الجزيرة، 2024).

Arab-Islamic Nationalist Congress (المؤتمر القومي الإسلامي) – Coordinator (Vision-PD, 2024).

International Union of Muslim Scholars (اتحاد علماء المسلمين العالمي) – Member (رغيد الصلح، 1989).

Philosophical Contributions

Shafiq’s contributions span multiple domains:

1.Resistance Philosophy: Shafiq champions armed resistance against Israeli occupation and opposes the Oslo Accords. He argues for a unified Palestinian struggle combining guerrilla tactics and ideological solidarity among Islamists, nationalists, and leftists (Middle East Journal, 2003; الزيتونة، 2021).

2.Unity Advocacy: A key proponent of Sunni-Shia unity, Shafiq views pan-Islamic cooperation as essential for addressing geopolitical challenges (Tehran Times, 2022).

Publications

Marxist Period

1. Marxism-Leninism and the Urgent Revolution (الماركسية اللينينية والثورة الملحة).
2. On the Science of War (في علم الحرب).
3. Marxism-Leninism and the Theory of the Revolutionary Party (الماركسية اللينينية ونظرية الحزب الثوري).
4. Translation: The Diaries of Che Guevara in Bolivia (يوميات تشي جيفارا في بوليفيا), Beirut: Dar al-Taliaa, 1968.

Post-Islamic Works

1. Islam in the Battle of Civilization (الإسلام في معركة الحضارة), 1983.
2. Responses to Secular Proposals (ردود على أطروحات علمانية), 1989.
3. On Theories of Change (في نظريات التغيير), 2005.
4. Strategy and Tactics in the Science of War (الاستراتيجية والتكتيك في علم الحرب), 2008.
5. Democracy and Secularism in the Western Experience (الديمقراطية والعلمانية في التجربة الغربية), 2014.
6. Experiences of Six Global Revolutions (تجارب ست ثورات عالمية), 2014.

References

Arabic Sources

1. الزيتونة، “رحلة في رماد الذكريات: قراءة في مذكرات منير شفيق”، 2021.
2. رغيد الصلح، الفكر القومي في مواجهة التحديات، بيروت: مركز دراسات الوحدة العربية، 1989.

English Sources

1. Hroub, Khaled. “The Islamicization of Arab Intellectual Thought.” Middle East Journal, 57(2), 2003.
2. Khalidi, Rashid. Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness. Columbia University Press, 2010.
3. Tehran Times. “History of Palestine Narrated in Munir Shafiq’s Book of Memories,” 2022.
4. Vision-PD. “Munir Shafiq.” Accessed December 2024.
5. Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations. “Journey Through the Embers: Reading into Munir Shafiq’s Memories.” December 2021.