Six Western academics win King Faisal prizes

Six Western academics, including a professor of Islamic history at Edinburgh University, have won the prestigious King Faisal International Prizes for 2005.

Dr Ahmad Mohammad Ali, president of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank, and the Al Hariri Foundation of Lebanon have been jointly awarded the prizes for Service to Islam.

Prince Khalid Al Faisal, director of the King Faisal Foundation, announced the names of the winners at a glittering ceremony held at the Al Khozama Centre in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The function was attended by Saudi officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

Dr Carole Hillenbrand of the United Kingdom won the Islamic studies prize for her research in Muslims defence of homeland in the 5th and 6th Hijri centuries.

The prize, over the years, has usually been won by Arab and Muslim researchers.

Professor Hillenbrand was awarded in recognition of her pioneering research in Islamic studies, specifically her revolutionary approach to the subject of the Crusades.

In the category of medicine, the prize was jointly won by Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto of the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the Oxford University.

They were honoured for their pioneering research that has unequivocally established the link between tobacco and various diseases.

The prize for science went jointly to Professors Federico Capasso and Frank Wilczek, both from the United States, and Anton Zeilinger from Austria for their distinguished contributions in their respective fields.

The prize in Arabic language and Arabic literature was withheld as none of the entries qualified for the prestigious award.

Each winner of the award will receive a cash endowment of 750,000 riyals, a certificate outlining the laureate's work and a commemorative 22-carat gold medallion.

The winners of the prizes for Service to Islam were announced a day earlier by Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, second deputy premier and minister of defence and aviation and inspector general.

Dr Abdullah Al Othaimeen, secretary-general, King Faisal International Prizes, said Dr Ali from Saudi Arabia was awarded the prize in recognition of his outstanding services in the area of Islamic banking.

"As president of the Islamic Development Bank 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 recognised for its commitment to education and culture, said Dr Al Othaimeen.

The committee also announced the topics for the King Faisal International Prizes 2006. They include science [mathematics]; medicine [biology of vascular inflammation]; Arabic language and literature [Arabic language in modern linguistics]; Islamic studies [origins of Islamic jurisprudence].

Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto were honoured for their pioneering research that has established the link between tobacco and various diseases.