Mahfoud Bennoune

Source: Middle East Report, No. 232 (Autumn, 2004), p. 3

Published by: Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)
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 INMEMORIAM

Mahfoud Bennoune, Maxime Rodinson and Yusif Sayigh

ay 2004 saw the passingof two long-timecontributing theProphet Muhammad, entitled

simplyMuhammad, firstappeared
editorsof this magazine,two men remarkable for their in1961andreflected
thesynthesis
ofscholarshipandengagement
impressiveintellectualaccomplishments,theirinspiring thatinspired
ourownproject.
Inhisforewordtoa 1980Englishedi-
politicalengagement and theirdistinctive
contributions
to MERIP tionof Rodinson
Muhammad, describedhis as
project "show[ing]
initsformative
years.Theywillbothbemissed. how,ata specific
historical
juncture,theparticular
psychological
MahfoudBennounedied on May17, succumbingfinallyto makeup of a mancombined withthesociological
conditions
of
amyloidosis,an auto-immunedisease he had battledsince 1990. histimeandplacetoproduce a lasting
historic
impactona world
Mahfoud authorednumerouspieces on colonialandpost-colonial scale."Islam andCapitalism
(English 1973)andMarxism
edition,
and
Algeria Maghribi in
workers Europe forMiddle EastReport(then and theMuslim a
World,collection
of that
essays appeared inEng-
MERIP
Reports)beginningin the mid-1970s.He was selectedas lishin1979,displayed
the broadconceptual
anddeeplypolitical
oneofthefirstcontributing editorsofthemagazine, in1977,and scopeofRodinson's
concerns.His1983collection ofessays,Cult,
servedinthatpositionfor15 years. GhettoandState:
ThePersistence oftheJewish Question
(London:
Mahfoud wasborn inApril
1936inrural andfought
Algeria FrenchSaqiBooks),deservesthesamerenown, sinceitdemonstrates
the
colonialforceswiththearmedwingofthe NationalLiberationFront richly results
provocative of Rodinson's historical
materialist and
(FLN).Duringfive years he spent as a prisonerof war,Mahfoud political as applied
analysis to issuesof Zionism,
anti-Semitism
learnedto readfromfellowprisoners.Healso enduredtortureat andJewish history.
the handsof his captors,and,thoughhe seldomspokeaboutthat -Joe Stork
experience,he didrecallits horrorinhis lastweeks,reactingto the
oftorture
reports inIraq.
byUSjailers YusifSayigh(1916-2004) wasa Palestinian anArab
nationalist,
Afterthe warof Algerianindependence, nationalist
andoneofthemostinfluential
he helpedto establish exponentsof Palestin-
thePartide la Revolution ianandArab
Socialiste(PRS),buthesoonleftAlgeriatoplanninganddevelopment. Heentered thenational
an in
pursue education,first ParisandLondon, scenejustafterWorld
andearneda doctor- War IIastheprimary ofa fundto
organizer
ate inanthropologyfromWayneStateUniversity, raisemoney
inDetroit,
in 1976.
through taxesandtollstobuyuplandthreatened by
Jewish
Hetaughtforseveralyearsinthe UnitedStatesbeforereturning to Then,
purchase. aftera brief asanIsraeli
period of
prisoner
in
Algeria to
1981 take
a faculty at
positionthe of
University war hetook
Algiers. (1948-1949), Syrian moved
nationality, toBeirutwhere
Helivedthereuntilshortlybeforehisdeath,despitethefactthathe he methiswonderful wife,Rosemary,obtaineda Ph.D.fromJohns
was targetedfor killingby armedIslamistgroups,whose agenda Hopkins,laterpublishedas Entrepreneurs of Lebanon(1962),and
he vigorouslycriticized. joinedthe staff of the AmericanUniversity in Beirut.Hisgrowing
Mahfoud alwaysdemonstrated a fiercecommitment to struggle reputationas a development economistalsoledhimontoa number
forpoliticalchangeandtolerance,firstof all in his homelandbut of international andArabcommissions,including the beginningsof
also in the Arabworld.Hisdedicationto learningand teachingin his longassociationwiththe KuwaitFund.
the serviceof justiceinspiredall of us who had the privilegeof LikemanyPalestinian Yusifwas soondrawnback
professionals,
knowingandworkingwithhim.A Mahfoud BennouneEndowment intonational politics,becominga memberofthePalestinian National
Fundhas beenset up in his memoryat the University of Michigan Council in1966andoneofitschiefeconomic plannersafter1967,
to rewardoutstanding studenttheses onNorthAfrica.Contributions signaled byhisroleintheestablishment ofthePlanning Centerin
can be mailedto:Mahfoud BennouneEndowment Fund,University Beirut. The1970ssawhimmovebacktotheArab sphere again
of Michigan, c/o LS&A Development, 524 S. MainStreet,AnnArbor, with aseriesofbooks, TheEconomies oftheArab World(1978),The
MI48104-2921. ArabEconomy (1982) andArabOilPolicies(1983),whichreflected
MaximeRodinsondiedon May24, in Paris,at the age of 89. his concernwiththe creationof a structurefor Arabeconomic
Hewasa contributing editorofthismagazine from1988to2000, integration basedon the exchangeof oil revenuesforskilledlabor,
and was honoredfor his pioneeringworkat MERIP's fifteenthan- culminating inanaction attheArab
planpresented Economic Sum-
niversary celebrations inWashington in 1986. mit inAmman in1980. The reasonsfor itslack ofsuccess were
Asa scholar,MaximeRodinson firstapproached theMiddleEast recordedsadlyandwiselyin a paperpresentedat a Georgetown
throughlanguages,the toolof classicalOrientalism, andformany University symposium inApril1992.
yearshe was professorof OldEthiopic andSouthArabian languages Myown longmemoriesof Yusifare of a determined servantof
at the Sorbonne'sEcolePratique des HautesEtudes.Hisprominent thePalestinian causewhorodeitsvarious wavesofenthusiasm and
roleas a publicintellectual,
though, stemmed from the Marxian and with
disillusion the same measured and
optimism quiet that
dignity he
materialist he brought
scrutiny to contemporary tohisfamily
ArabandArab-Is-brought life.Hewillbesorely
andacademic missed. I
aswellasthehistory
raelipolitics, oftheregion.
Hisbiography
of -RogerOwen

MIDDLE
EASTREPORT 20043
232?* FALL
2004 3

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