The winners of the prestigious King Faisal International Prizes for 2007 were announced last night at a special ceremony in Riyadh. Prizes were awarded in five categories: Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Science, Medicine and Service to Islam.

The prize for Islamic Studies was awarded to Professor Roshdi Hifni Rashed of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris for his studies, translations and essays on Muslims’ contributions to science, in particular mathematic and optics.

The prize for Arabic Language and Literature was awarded jointly to Professor Muhammad Al-Omari of Morocco and Professor Mustafa Nasif of Egypt. Al-Omari received the award for his research on Arabic rhetoric and oratory, in particular his precise methodology and research presentation. Nasif was selected for his comprehensive and original research on Arabic rhetoric as it relates to the origins of modern Arabic.

The prize for Science was awarded to Professor James Fraser Stoddart, a British professor of NanoSystems Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles for his work in the field of chemistry, in particular molecular recognition and self-assembly.

The prize for Medicine was awarded jointly to Professor Fernand Labrie of Canada and Professor Patrick Craig Walsh of the United States for their contributions to therapeutic and surgical management of prostate cancer. Labrie, of the Central Hospital of Laval University in Quebec, was selected for his work in developing LHRH agonists and combined androgen blockage in the treatment of prostate cancer. Walsh, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is recognized for developing nerve sparing radical surgery for prostate cancer.

The prize for service to Islam for 2007 was awarded to President Mintimer Shaimiev of Tatarstan for his efforts to revive Islamic culture in Tatarstan, including promoting Islamic teachings and values and rebuilding mosques that had been destroyed.

More details are available at the King Faisal Foundation website

Return