There is only a limited degree of insight and understanding that foreigners may develop regarding the political, social and moral dimensions of life in Egypt, particularly if the pool of resources for learning is restricted to Western scholarship on the country and the region. This Bikya Masr post will offer readers an introduction to the concerns and arguments of a variety of Egyptian thinkers, writers, public intellectuals – considering them as insider-theorists. Each week, readers will be introduced to an influential Egyptian figure, including an overview of his or her claims, concerns, and arguments about a variety of dimensions of Egyptian life. The figures presented will range from the 19th Century to the present. Moreover, their areas of concern and expertise may range across subject-matters – politics, economics, faith, etc. Here is a preliminary list of figures to be covered. Please suggest any others (especially women!) and/or recommend against any of these. Also please let me know if you have any preference regarding the order. Abbas al-Aqqad Sayyid Qutb Hassan al-Banna Sheikh Sha’rawi Abdelwahab al-Messiri Mustafa Mahmoud Gamal al-Banna Galal Amin Mohammed Imara M. H. Haikal Heba Raouf Mona Abaza Tariq al-Bishri Mahmoud Ameen al-‘Alim Hasan Hanafi Nasr Hamed Abu Zyed Nawal Saadawi Mohammed al-Ghazali Taha Hussein Muhammad Abduh Abdel-Moneim Said Sheikh Ali Gomaa Amr Khaled Sheikh Tantawi Ayman Nour Saad Eddin Ibrahim
