Wednesday, 12, January, 2005 (01, Dhul Hijjah, 1425)
RIYADH, 12 January 2005 — Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ali, president of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank, and the Al-Hariri Foundation of Lebanon have been jointly awarded the 2005 King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam. Professor Carole Hillenbrand of the University of Edinburgh won the Prize for Islamic Studies.
The winners of KFIP for Service to Islam were announced a day earlier by Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation. The Prize for Arabic Language and Literature was withheld as none of the entries qualified for the prestigious award.
In the other categories, the Prize for Science went jointly to Professors Federico Capasso and Frank Wilczek (both from the US) and Anton Zeilinger (Austria). Professors Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto were declared the joint winners of the Prize for Medicine.
Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, director of the King Faisal Foundation, announced the names of the winners at a glittering ceremony held at the Al-Khozama Center last night. It was attended by princes, Cabinet members, diplomats and senior government officials.
Each winner of the award will receive a cash endowment of SR750,000 ($200,000), a certificate outlining the laureate’s work and a commemorative 22-carat gold medallion.
Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ali was awarded the prize in recognition of his achievements in the field of Islamic banking. As president of the IDB since its inception 30 years ago, he has not only consolidated the conformity of banking transactions with Islamic laws but has also set an example of successful and modern Islamic banking.
Lebanon’s Al-Hariri Foundation was recognized for its commitment to education and culture. So far, it has supported college education of nearly 30,000 male and female students. It has also built schools and colleges throughout Lebanon and, in its efforts to preserve Islamic architecture, refurbished ancient mosques in that country.
Professor Carole Hillenbrand was cited in recognition of her pioneering research in the field of Islamic studies, specifically her revolutionary approach to the largely one-sided subject of the Crusades. The citation said she has sought to clarify several misconceptions shrouding them, thereby making it possible for history to be viewed from a more balanced and impartial perspective.
In the category of the Prize for Medicine Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto of the Clinical Trial Service Unit (CTSU) at Oxford University, were honored for their pioneering epidemiologic research that has unequivocally established the link between tobacco and various diseases, such as vascular diseases and cancers.
“Indeed, so great has been the impact of their studies that several national health policies have been modified as a result of these findings. The World Health Organization (WHO) itself changed its position on smoking which culminated in a demonstrable decline in deaths related to cancer and atherosclerotic vascular diseases in several developed countries,” the citation notes.
In the science category, Professors Federico Capasso, Frank Wilczek (USA) and Anton Zeilinger (Austria) shared the prize for their distinguished contributions in their respective fields.
The topics for the 2006 King Faisal International Prize were also announced at the event. They are: Science (Mathematics); Medicine (Biology of Vascular Inflammation); Arabic Language and Literature (The Arabic Language in Modern Linguistics); Islamic Studies (The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence).
The deadline for receiving nominations is March 1, 2005.