Rethinking Politics and Religion: Dr. Youssef’s Two-Book Launch
On May 29, 2025, ICGER hosted a formal launch ceremony at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut to unveil two new books by its president, Dr. Mohammad Walid Youssef: Politics: Newtonian Classical Rules and Quantum Principles and Ashʿarism, Society, and the State. The event’s distinguished audience included political figures, academics, researchers, media representatives, civil society organizations, and the ICGER team.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Antonella Zakhia, Head of Media and Communications at “ICGER”. She emphasized the cultural and intellectual significance of the occasion, framing it within the Center’s broader mission to rethink political and religious concepts through a rigorous, critical lens.
A short introductory film followed, offering an overview of ICGER’s vision, research agenda, and past initiatives.
First Session: Rethinking Politics through Quantum Theory
Moderated by Dr. Imad Ghanoum, the first session featured Dr. Youssef presenting Politics: Newtonian Classical Rules and Quantum Principles. He elaborated on the scientific and philosophical foundations of the book, arguing that political analysis remains entrenched in its deterministic classical frameworks, which fail to capture the complexity of today’s world. He proposed an alternative, inspired by quantum physics, to understand phenomena like governance, sovereignty, and decision-making.
Dr. Youssef outlined the book’s key themes, including the contrast between Newtonian determinism and quantum openness, and how these paradigms can be applied to reinterpret historical and contemporary political dynamics.
Second Session: The Ashʿarite Legacy and Its Sociopolitical Impact
The second session, co-moderated by Dr. Imad Ghanoum and Dr. Hiba Morcos, focused on Dr. Youssef’s second book, Ashʿarism, Society, and the State. He delivered a critical examination of the Ashʿarite theological tradition, which he described as the dominant doctrinal framework in the Islamic world for over a millennium. According to Youssef, Ashʿarism became a closed and stagnant system of thought that constrained the Muslim mind and obstructed religious renewal.
He called for a return to the early Islamic ethos of rational inquiry, experience, and open dialogue, values he associates with the first two Islamic centuries before the rise of Ashʿarism. He contended that this period fostered the intellectual and social growth of Muslim communities before the rise of authoritarian theological tendencies.
Both sessions sparked lively interaction, with attendees engaging Dr. Youssef in a robust dialogue that enriched the discussions and opened new avenues for understanding the ideological and political transformations in the Islamic world.
The event concluded with a book signing, where Dr. Youssef personally inscribed copies of his works, which were distributed as gifts to the audience. The ceremony wrapped up with commemorative photos and media coverage.
