King Faisal International Prizes for 2020
By Sameen Ahmed Khan
Dhofar University
Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
Four individuals from Australia, Jordan and USA along with an organization from Saudi Arabia have been named winners of the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) for the year 2020, as the 42nd edition of the renowned award recognized their distinguished contributions towards humanity.
The prize consists of a certificate, hand-written in Diwani calligraphy, summarizing the laureate's work; a commemorative 24 carat, 200 gram gold medal, uniquely cast for each prize; and a cash endowment of Saudi Riyal 750,000 (about US$200,000) to be shared equally.
The winners will receive their awards in a ceremony in Riyadh under the auspices of the King of Saudi Arabia. The prizes are named after King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Within four decades the KFIP are ranked among the most prestigious awards. Todate there are 21 KFIP laureates, who also received Nobel Prizes (mostly after the KFIP). Out of the 119 winners of the King Faisal prizes in science and medicine since 1982, there were 4 women (3.36%). This is marginally higher than that for the Nobel Prizes: just 20 women (3.24%) are among the 616 Nobel Prize winners in the fields of science and medicine since 1901.
The 2020 King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam has been awarded to The Makkah Document. The Makkah Document was issued by the Makkah conference organized by the Muslim World League in December 2005 (Ziquad 1426). The Document is a historic constitution that enshrines the values of coexistence among the followers of various religions, cultures, and sects in a bid to achieve peace among the diverse communities of human society.
The Makkah Document was awarded the prize in recognition of being a historic constitution that enshrines the values of coexistence among the followers of various religions, cultures, and sects in a bid to achieve peace among the diverse communities of human society. The Makkah Document was approved by 1200 Muslim figures from 109 countries hailing from different Islamic schools and sects.
A total of 48 scholars/organizations from 21 countries have been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam. There are four winners from the Indian subcontinent namely, Sayyid Abul Ala’a Al-Mowdoodi (1979); Sayyid Abul-Hasan Ali Al-Hasani Al-Nadawi (1980); Professor Khurshid Ahmed (1990) and Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (2015).
The prize for Islamic Studies(Topic: Islamic Heritage of Alquds) has been awarded to Mohammed Hashim Ghosheh of Jordan in recognition of his copious intellectual output regarding the history of Jerusalem and its monuments throughout the ages. Ghosheh has authored over a hundred research articles, several books and documentaries. His book, titled, ‘The Holy Dome of the Rock’, documents the architectural, decorative, mosaical, Qashani, and geometric elements of the holy Dome of the Rock. The book titled, ‘The Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque’ (published in 2014) is considered the largest documentation of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is based on field research, architectural and photographic documentation, records of Sharia courts and Ottoman archives. His ‘Encyclopedia Palestinnica’ in 24 volumes and 7,000 pages deserves a special mention. It is the largest illustrated documentary work on Palestine and Al-Quds based on thousands of historical documents and original photos and sources going back earlier than the nineteenth century in various European, Latin, Persian, Hebrew and Arabic languages. The Encyclopedia also features thousands of historical documents, maps, drawings, inscriptions, seals, and photos based on Ottoman, Egyptian, British, French, Spanish and other archives (https://palestinnica.com/). A total of 39 scholars/organizations from 15 countries have been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies. The two recipients from India are Muhammad Najatuallah Siddiqui (1982); and Ali Ahmad Ghulam Muhammad Nadvi (2004). Among the 39 literature laureates, there is one woman (2.56%).
The prize for Arabic Language and Literature (Topic: Linguistic Studies on Arabic in Other Languages) has been awarded to Professor Michael G. Carter in recognition of his research into Arabic linguistics. His contributions span over fifty years and are considered one of the most significant contributions to the study of the Arabic grammatical tradition becoming a key resource for linguistic research outside the Arab world. His work can be constituted as a comprehensive research project that aims to highlight the major achievements of the Arabic grammatical tradition and its originality. His extensive work, both as editor and translator of major scholarly books and manuscripts, has brought forth the value of Arabic grammatical thought and its impact on modern linguistics.
A total of 53 scholars/organizations from 14 countries have been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Language and Literature. There are 4 women among these 53 laureates (7.54%), which when compared to the Nobel Prizes is 15 women among 116 literature laureates (12.93%).
The prize for Medicine (Topic: Haemoglobinopathies) has been awarded to Stuart Holland Orkin of USA. The haemoglobinopathies include all genetic diseases of haemoglobin such as thalassemia and the sickle cell disorder. Haemoglobinopathies are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality all over the world. Orkin’s research focuses on the development and function of the blood system and the molecular basis of inherited blood disorders. In the 1970s, a technique had been developed to draw blood directly from a foetus during the second trimester using a fine needle. Orkin made use of the samples of the amniotic fluid and the foetal blood he received from other researchers for a DNA analysis. It had to be confirmed if the unborn child was suffering from beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that reduces the production of haemoglobin. Orkin’s DNA-based diagnosis was confirmed by results from the foetal blood cell analysis. The study marked the first prenatal screening for any heritable disorder using genetic material from foetal cells.
A total of 70 scholars from 13 countries have been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Medicine. There are 4 women among the 70 KFIP medicine laureates (5.71%). This is marginally higher than that for Nobel Prize: just 12 women (5.47%) among the 219 Nobel Prize winners in medicine since 1901.
This year’s prize for Science is in the area of Biology. It has been awarded to Xiaodong Wang. Wang’s work focuses on specific loss of cell vitality during animal development and adult life which is an important part of normal animal physiology. Defects in such a process cause many human diseases. Such forms of cell death are executed by specific biochemical programs within the dying cell, and termed as regulated cell death. Wang was awarded the prize in recognition of his ground-breaking and unique work, which has changed our concept of how cell death is regulated in the developing and mature organisms and for the new insights gained into the therapeutic modulation of cell death for treating life-threatening diseases. A total of 60 scholars from 13 countries have been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Science.
The other major science prizes instituted by the Middle Eastern region are the UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation and the Mustafa Prize for Science launched by Iran in 2015. The topics for the five prizes for the year 2021 (1442 Hijri) are Service to Islam; Islamic Studies (Topic: Endowment in Islam); Arabic Language and Literature (Topic: The New Rhetoric); Medicine (Topic: Regenerative Medicine in Neurological Conditions); and Science (Topic: Physics) respectively. The deadline for all nominations is Tuesday the 31 March 2020 (6 Rajab 1441). Winners will be announced in January 2021. Additional details can be found on the website of the King Faisal Foundation : http://www.kff.com/ and the King Faisal International Prize: http://kingfaisalprize.org/ respectively. - rohelakhan@yahoo.com, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1264-2302
Further reading:
- Sameen Ahmed Khan, King Faisal Palace to become a University, Pakistan Link (11 April 2003). (Published from Anaheim, California, USA).
- Sameen Ahmed Khan, Nobel Prize Chemist Ahmed Hassan Zewail Dies, Pakistan Link , Vol. 26/38, (2 September 2016, 30 Dhul-qi’dah 1437).
- Sameen Ahmed Khan, 2019 King Faisal International Prize Award Ceremony, Pakistan Link , Vol. 29/15, (12 April 2019, 6 Shaaban 1440). https://kingfaisalprize.org/ceremonies/
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