تأملات: في الفلسفة والأدب والسياسة والاجتماع

Ahmed Lotfy El-Sayed: An Egyptian thinker, he served as Minister of Education and then of the Interior, President of the Academy of Arabic Language, President of Dar al-Kutub, and Director of the Egyptian University. Ahmed Lotfi El Sayed Abu Ali was born in 1872 AD in the village of Burqin in Dakahlia Governorate, and grew up in a wealthy family. He joined the Law School and during his studies he got to know Sheikh Muhammad Abdo, who encouraged him; As a result of this encouragement, Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid and a group of prominent law school students created the magazine “The Legislation.” He also met Jamal al-Din al-Afghani during his visit to Istanbul in 1893 AD and was influenced by his ideas. After Ahmed Lotfi Al-Sayed obtained his Bachelor of Laws, he worked on behalf and rose in positions until he was appointed as deputy judge in Fayoum. During this period, he participated with his old friend "Abdul Aziz Fahmy" in the establishment of a secret society called the "Egypt Liberation Association". When the news of it reached Khedive Abbas Helmy, he sought it through Mustafa Kamel, a colleague of Ahmed Lutfi al-Sayyid at the Law School, where the Khedive was seeking liberation from the grip of British occupation. Ahmed Lutfi al-Sayed adopted the liberal concept of freedom in Europe, calling for the individual to enjoy a great deal of freedom. He is the author of the famous saying: “Difference in opinion does not spoil friendship.” He called for defining a concept of the Egyptian personality, as well as for women's education. During his presidency of the university, the first batch of female students graduated. Ahmed Lotfi El-Sayed demanded the university's independence, and submitted his resignation when Taha Hussein was expelled from the university. He also submitted his resignation again when the police stormed the university campus, and called for the use of Egyptian colloquial language instead of Standard Arabic. Politically, he founded the Egyptian Umma Party with the slogan “Egypt for the Egyptians” in December 1907, as the party’s main goal was to demand complete independence and the constitution. Ahmed Lotfy El-Sayed is considered one of the largest contributors to carrying the banner of education and enlightenment in Egypt in the twentieth century, and he remained a teacher for his pioneering generation until he left our world on March 5, 1963 in Cairo.