The Arab world's passage from progressive secularism to conservative religiosity in the last fifty years is illuminated by the work of Egypt’s greatest writer, says Tarek Osman.

More at the source. Tarek Osman gives an interesting reading of culture and the text.

Great clip.

Verry, verry interesting and enlightening. Should be published in the New York Times and other major papers {doubt it would }. And doubt many here in the west even knew of him including me.

Mahfouz' death was actually featured in the NY Times.

I agree, MyWorld, I don't think a lot of people read Mahfouz. I wish more would take interest in literature. I wouldn't have known anything about him if it were not for the non-western lit class I took in college.

I've always liked Taha Hussein.

I've read very little of him, Enbar. Any reading suggestions?

I haven't read that much of his writing either, but I read parts of Interpreting Muhammad's Life in Modern Times collected in an anthology and it made a deep impression on me.

I will look that up. I haven't been reading that much. I need to open my library to new stuff. Thanks, Enbar!