List of Muslim Nobel laureates explained

As of 2023, fifteen Nobel Prize laureates have been Muslims, more than half of them in the 21st century. Eight of the fifteen laureates have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, while four have been for the sciences and three for Literature. The recipient of the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics, Abdus Salam, was a member of the Ahmadi community of Pakistan. Aziz Sancar is the second Turkish Nobel laureate and was awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry in the field of molecular biology in 2015.[1]

Chemistry

Three Muslims have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

YearImageLaureateCountry and professionRationalecomment
1999Ahmed Zewail
(1946–2016)[2]
Egyptian-American scientistThe 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Ahmed Zewail "for his studies of the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy".[3] He is the first Muslim chemist to be awarded the Nobel Prize and the second Muslim scientist.[4] [5] [6] [7]
2015Aziz Sancar
(b. 1946)
Turkish-American scientistThe 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Aziz Sancar "for mechanistic studies of DNA repair"[8] He is the first Turkish chemist, and the second Turk to date to be awarded the Nobel Prize.[9]
2023Moungi Bawendi
(b. 1961)
American- Tunisian-FrenchThe 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Moungi Bawendi "for the discovery and development of quantum dots"[10] He is the first Tunisian to date to be awarded the Nobel Prize.[11] [12]

Literature

Three Muslims have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

YearImageLaureateCountry and professionRationalecomment
1988Naguib Mahfouz
(1911–2006)
Egyptian author, noted for his contribution to modern Arabic literatureThe 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature was given to Naguib Mahfouz "who, through works rich in nuance—now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous—has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind".[13] [14] The first Muslim author to receive such a prize.[15] [16]
2006Orhan Pamuk
(b. 1952)
Turkish-Circassian author famous for his novels My Name Is Red and SnowThe 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Orhan Pamuk "who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures".[17] [18] The first Turk and Circassian to receive the Nobel Prize, He describes himself as a Cultural Muslim who associates the historical and cultural identification with the religion while not believing in a personal connection to God.[19] [20] [21]
2021Abdulrazak Gurnah
(b. 1948)
Tanzanian author, noted for his contribution to modern African literatureGurnah was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021 "for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fates of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents".[22] "Muslim Writer"[23]

Peace

Eight Muslims have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

YearImageLaureateCountry and professionRationalecomment
1978Anwar al-Sadat (1918–1981) Egyptian PresidentHe, along with Menachem Begin was awarded 1978 Nobel Peace Prize "for their contribution to the two frame agreements on peace in the Middle East, and on peace between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Washington on September 17, 1978".[24] The first Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
1994Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) Palestinian politicianThe 1994 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East".[30] [31] The only Muslim Palestinian to receive a Nobel Prize.[32] [33] [34] [35]
2003Shirin Ebadi
(b. 1947)
Iranian human rights activistThe 2003 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ebadi "for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children".[36] The first Iranian to receive a Nobel Prize. She was also the first Muslim woman to receive such an honor.[37] [38] [39] [40] Note that Doris Lessing born and raised for 5 years in modern-day Iran is a fellow laureate.
2005Mohamed El Baradei (b. 1942) Egyptian diplomatThe 2005 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to El Baradei and IAEA "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way".[41] [42] He was the second Egyptian to be awarded Nobel Peace Prize (2005).[43] [44] [45]
2006Muhammad Yunus (b. 1940) Bangladeshi economist, founder of Grameen Bank and current Chief Adviser of Bangladesh.The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Yunus and Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below".[46] The first Bangladeshi and Bengali Muslim Nobel laureate, and overall, the fourth Bengali person to win a Nobel prize.[47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]
2011Tawakel Karman (b. 1979) Human rights activist based in Yemen. A prominent leader in the Arab Spring.The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly given to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Karman "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work".[53] The first Arab woman and only Yemeni to receive a Nobel Prize.[54] [55] [56] [57] [58]
2014Malala Yousafzai (b. 1997) Pakistani peace activist.At the age of 17, Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Prize recipient ever.[59] She is also the second Pakistani and first ethnic Pashtun to be awarded a Nobel Prize.[60] Malala Yousafzai: ‘I’m a feminist and a Muslim’ [61]
2023Narges Mohammadi
(b. 1972)
Iranian human rights activist.The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Mohammadi "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all"[62] She is the second Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in general.[63]

Physics

One Muslim has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

By country

Country Number of Wins
Egypt4
Pakistan 2
Turkey2
Iran2
Bangladesh 1
Yemen1
Palestine1
Tanzania1
Tunisia1

See also

References

The year of receiving Nobel Prize is given after each Nobel Laureate in this article. For verification of candidacy of above listed Nobel Laureates, please go to nobelprize.org,[67] and search the corresponding year of reception of Nobel Prize in the respective field.

Further reading

Articles

Books

Biography

Autobiography

The Autobiography of Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank. .[78]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015.
  2. News: Egyptian Chemist Zewail, Nobel Prize-Winner, Dies at 70. 5 August 2016. The New York Times. . Associated Press . 14 December 2023.
  3. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1999. 24 March 2012.
  4. Web site: Muslim Nobel Prize Winner Ahmed Hassan Zewail from Planck's Constant. March 24, 2012.
  5. Web site: Ahmed Zewail: At a Glance . 2018-06-18 . 2012-03-18 . 2018-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180628192349/http://www.zewail.caltech.edu/ . dead . Ahmed Zewail's caltech site.
  6. Web site: The Fountain Magazine. 2013-08-10 . Science in the Islamic world: an interview with Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail, The Fountain Magazine, Issue 67, January–February 2009, retrieved March 21, 2012.
  7. Web site: Ahmed Zewail: The West and Islam need not be in conflict - Commentators, Opinion - the Independent . 24 October 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20080507014029/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/ahmed-zewail-the-west-and-islam-need-not-be-in-conflict-421354.html . April 11, 2012. 2008-05-07 . .
  8. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015. Nobelprize.org .
  9. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015. NobelPrize.org.
  10. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023. Nobelprize.org .
  11. Web site: Mbarek . Ghaya Ben . 2023-10-05 . Moungi Bawendi: The Tunisian-American Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate . 2023-12-14 . The National . en.
  12. Web site: ahmedbqa . 2023-10-05 . Muslim scientist wins 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for innovation of quantum dots . 2023-10-06 . Muslim Network TV . en-US.
  13. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1988 . . 24 March 2012.
  14. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1988 . 2023-08-03 . NobelPrize.org . en-US.
  15. Web site: Contact Support . 2012-06-09 . 2012-03-18 . 2012-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120609131742/http://www.i-epistemology.net/literature/790-naguib-mahfouzs-socialistic-sufism-an-intellectual-journey-from-the-wafd-to-islamic-mysticism.html . dead . "Naguib Mahfouz's Socialistic Sufism: An Intellectual Journey from the Wafd to Islamic Mysticism", Yagi, Kumiko, Ph.D. Harvard University, 2001. 235 pages. Adviser: Graham, William A. Publication Number: AAT 3028463, accessed March 24, 2012.
  16. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1988. 24 March 2012.
  17. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Literature 2006. 24 March 2012.
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  22. Web site: The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021. NobelPrize.org.
  23. British Muslim Fictions . SpringerLink . en.
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  25. Web site: Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions . 2023-12-14 . Answers . en.
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  27. Web site: The Islamization of Egypt . 2012-04-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120119045843/http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2006/issue3/jv10no3a7.html . 2012-01-19 . "The Islamization Of Egypt" by Adel Guindy, retrieved April 7, 2012.
  28. Web site: 2012-03-30 . ANWAR AL-SADAT, THE FIRST ISLAMIST RULER IN EGYPT'S MODERN HISTORY . 2023-08-03 . DIOSCORUS BOLES ON COPTIC NATIONALISM . en.
  29. Web site: Mohamed Anwar El Sadat . 2023-08-03 . The MY HERO Project.
  30. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1994/arafat.html 'Yasser Arafat-Biography', Nobel Foundation, retrieved April 5, 20122.
  31. Web site: The Nobel Peace Prize 1994 . 2023-08-03 . NobelPrize.org . en-US.
  32. Web site: Yasser Arafat – Biographical. nobelprize.org.
  33. Web site: The Nobel Peace Prize 1994 . 2023-08-03 . NobelPrize.org . en-US.
  34. Web site: The Muslim Arafat 1 . 2012-04-04 . dead . https://archive.today/20120721164541/http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/medigest/feb97/marafat.html . 2012-07-21 . 'The Muslim Arafat', retrieved April 5, 2012.
  35. Web site: Yasser Arafat. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
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  43. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34209078 NBC News
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