Alwi Shihab

Alwi Shihab (Arabic: علوي شهاب‎‎; Alawī Šihāb) is one of the leading authorities and scholars on the interaction of Christian and Muslim communities. Currently he is the Indonesian President's special envoy to the Middle East and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He was the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare in 2004-2005 and the Foreign Minister of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001.

Alwi was born in Rappang, South Sulawesi in Indonesia on 19 August 1946. He inherited a passion in academic achievements from his father, Abdurrahman Shihab, who was a dean at IAIN Alauddin in Makassar, South Sulawesi. He is a younger sibling of Quraish Shihab and Umar Shihab of MUI (The Indonesian Council of Ulama).

At age of 10, Alwi went to study basic education at Darul Nashihin Boarding School in Lawang, east Java. Later, Alwi's father sent him and his brother Quraish to Cairo to continue their high school abroad. After completing his high school in Cairo, Alwi continued and completed his bachelor's degree from Al-Azhar University and acquired L.C. degree in 1968 in Islamic philosophy. He then continued his education in Indonesia and completed his master at Alaudin State Institute of Islamic Studies (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Alaudin), Ujung Pandang in 1986. His first doctoral degree was acquired in 1990 from University of Ain Shams, Cairo with research dissertation in the area of tasawwuf and Islamic philosophy with thesis title Islamic Sufism and Its Impact on Indonesian Contemporary Sufism.

In 1991, Alwi went to US to continue his education at Temple University, USA. He and his family initially stayed in Carbondale, Illinois in 1991, but later moved to a town in Pennsylvania andcompleted his M.A in 1992. Being not enough with a single doctoral degree, he then completed his second Ph.D from the same university in 1995 with dissertation The Muhammadiyah Movement and Its Controversy with Christian Mission in Indonesia. While at Temple, Alwi become assistant professor for the Department of Religion.

Alwi also did some post-doctorate at Harvard University: The Center For the Study of Word Religions, USA during 1995-1996 period. Later, he joined Hartford Seminary in Hartford, as professor of religion. In 1998 he served as fellow and visiting professor at Harvard University's Divinity School - Center for the Study of World Religions.

In 90's he wrote a book about Islam-Christianity interaction: Islam Inklusif He has recently completed two works for publication: a manuscript entitled American Students’ Perceptions of Islam (forthcoming), and a translated (from Arabic to English) version of a previous publication entitled Islamic Mysticism and Its Impact on Indonesian Society (forthcoming).

Alwi Shihab with Colin Powell, Jan 5 2005

In 2002 he became adjunct professor for graduate programs at UI and currently is a member of Universitas Indonesia (UI) Board of Trustee.

In politics, His political career started when he was elected as member of Indonesian parliament and then minister of foreign affairs in The Wahid administration. Alwi was The chairman of PKB (The National Awakening Party). He served as Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and a minister in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's cabinet.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab (left) is escorted through an honor cordon and into the Pentagon by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz on March 12, 2001

Alwi, unlike his brothers who focus their career in education and Islamic studies only, has also strong business entrepreneurship. Since after completing his education in Cairo, Alwi started some businesses. In 1975 to 1979 he was CEO of Glass Priangan Factory in Cianjur, Indonesia. During 1979 -1982 he was the President of Director for Alfa Contracting Company in Jeddah. In 1982 to 1986 he was the President of Director of PT. Prima Advera company in Jakarta. In 1982 he founded Yayasan Darul Qur'an, also in Jakarta. During 1986 -1990 he became a member of board of directors at Eagle Tripelti in Jakarta and since 1986, he has been a member of the board of Dhafco Manunggal Sejati, Jakarta.

On October 26, 2004 He was honorarily discharged from PKB due to the party's internal political conflict and clash with some other leaders. In 2007 he founded his own party, Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU) or "Party of National Scholar Awakening" in which he still serves as the chairman until now.

Since 2006, Alwi has been appointed as the president's special envoy to the Middle East and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Alwi Shihab is of Hadhrami Arab descent and claims a lineage as a Sayyid, or a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (via Zayn al-Abidin, great-grandson of Muhammad).

Alwi Shihab is married to Ashraf Shahab and has two sons: Muhammad Rizvi and Samy, and one daughter: Samira Shihab. One of his children, Samy, lives in The United States.

He has continuously tried to present Islam as an inclusive, moderate religion, basing this on his reading of the Qur'an.