The Brightest Islam

Murad Wilfried Hofmann (born 1931 in Aschaffenburg, Germany) is a German diplomat and author. He has authored several books on Islam, including Journey to Makkah (ISBN 0-915957-85-X) and Islam: The Alternative (ISBN 0-915957-71-X). Many of his books and essays focus on Islam's place in the West and, after 11 September, in particular, in the United States. He is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding. Hofmann was born a Catholic, but converted to Islam in 1980. He studied at Harvard University. His conversion was met with some controversy due to his high profile in the German government. He converted to Islam as a result of what he witnessed in the Algerian War of Independence, his fondness for Islamic art, and what he saw as contradictions in Paulist Christian doctrine. Hofmann served in the German Foreign Service from 1961 to 1994. He first served in Algeri...