Kamal S. Salibi is primarily renowned for his monumental contributions to the history of Lebanon. Yet his scholarly legacy extends well beyond Lebanon to topics that span the Middle East from biblical to contemporary times. This collection of papers, written in Dr. Salibi's honor and memory, similarly cover a range of subjects that touch upon his own interests – aspects of ancient, medieval, and modern Arabic/Islamic and Middle Eastern history, literature, and art. Twenty-three papers are arranged here in four sections: (a) Kamal Salibi as Teacher and Historian; (b) Lebanese, Ottoman, and Arab History; (c) Islamic Studies; and (d) Syriac Studies. About half of the studies in this volume were presented at a conference held at the American University of Beirut on 2–3 May 2012 entitled “Lord of Many Mansions: Celebrating the Life and Work of Kamal S. Salibi,". The other papers were contributed as additional gestures of affection and admiration for Dr. Salibi.
While Kamal Salibi was opposed to receiving any kind of honor apart from the love and respect of his students and colleagues, it would have been unthinkable not to mark his passing in a memorable way. Hence, this volume, which represents a simple expression of the love and respect with which Dr. Salibi's students and colleagues remember him.
“In this present age, when sainthood is non-existent or at least invisible, Salibi was touched with sanctity. He was an essentially happy man whose happiness was infectious, who lived a long and productive life and achieved, we believe, most of what he set out to achieve. . . . AUB was not simply Kamal Salibi's academic home; it was a cause, a body of principles, to be defended and nourished. To us, his friends and students, he was the wise sage of AUB, but also its conscience, a reminder of what it can and should be; angry when these principles were flouted, elated when upheld, Salibi epitomized the very best in its history." - The Editors
Publication Type
- Article