Edip Yuksel

Edip Yuksel (b. 1957) is a Turkish-American of Kurdish descent and a former member of the United Submitters International. The resume on his website states that he is a part-time legal researcher and a part-time community college instructor living in Tucson, Arizona. He also teaches classes at Accelerated Learning Laboratory; Turkish, Technology, and Math.

Biography

Yuksel was born in Turkey in 1957. His father, Sadreddin Yuksel, an Islamic scholar, taught Arabic at a Turkish university. Yuksel says that he was an outspoken Islamist as a youth, and spent years in prison for his views. Yuksel says that he broke with Islamism in 1986 and adopted the Qur'an Alone philosophy as preached by Rashad Khalifa, a notable member of the "United Submitters International" whose beliefs include: the dedication of all worship practices to God alone, upholding the Quran alone, and rejecting the Islamic traditionalist hadith and sunnah attributed to Muhammad.

In 1989, he was sponsored for immigration to the US by Khalifa. Yuksel moved to Tucson, entered college, got a legal degree, and became a prominent member of the United Submitters International.

Mr. Yuksel has been active in promoting his ideology and has achieved some minor Internet celebrity. As he says on his website:

* "As a convicted "dissident," as a condemned and excommunicated "apostate," now I can communicate with the entire world without even getting out of my office. Thesis a miracle!" [cite web|url = http://www.yuksel.org/e/ |title = Edip Yuksel |accessdate = 2008-07-24]

He now teaches Philosophy and Logic at [http://pima.edu/ PCC] . He also teaches Turkish and Critical Thinking Classes at [http://allgrades.com/ Accelerated Learning Laboratory (ALL)] , where his children attend.

Publications

Yuksel is the author of over twenty books on religion, politics, philosophy and law in Turkish.

He has published many pamphlets and essays in English, all of them put out by the United Submitters press -- that is, by his former congregation. However, he "is" listed as a co-author on a book forthcoming from Palgrave-Macmillan [ [http://www.palgrave-usa.com/browse/browse.aspx?Page=1&MacroID=15&MacroDesc=&MicroDesc=Gender&MicroID=108] Dead link|date=July 2008] .QURAN: a Reformist Translation is available at www.rainbowpress.com

= Turkish publications by Edip Yukselcite web|url = http://www.yuksel.org/e/resume/resumelong.htm |title = Edip Yuksel's Resume (long version) |accessdate = 2008-07-24] =

* "The Message: Qur'an’s Translation/Mesaj: Kuran Cevirisi." A Turkish translation of the Qur'an. (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 2000-2008, 5 editions, 600 pp.)

* "Purple Letters/Mor Mektuplar." Essays on religion, politics, law, philosophy, women, human rights. (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 2000-2008, 2 editions, 232 pp.)

* "Democracy, Oligarchy, Theocracy/Demokrasi, Oligarsi, Teokrasi." A discussion of Turkish democracy and secularism (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1998-2008; 133 pp.).

*"On It Is Nineteen/Uzerinde Ondokuz Var." A study of the mathematical structure of the Bible and the Qur'an. (Milliyet Publishing, Istanbul, 1997, Ozan Publishing, 2000-2008, 4 editions 320 pp.).

*"The Prime Argument/Asal Tartisma (E; T)". A two-round argument with Prof. Carl Sagan regarding claims for a mathematical structure in the Qur'an. (The Monotheist International, Tucson, 1995, 64 pp.); Turkish translation (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1998-2008, 92 pp.).

* "Errors In Translations of the Quran/Kuran Cevirilerindeki Hatalar." A book comparing eleven Turkish translations of the Qur'an. (Gosterge, Istanbul, 1992, 164 pp.; Milliyet Publishing, Istanbul, 1998; Ozan Publishing 2007-2008 182 pp.)

* "Nineteen Questions for Christian Clergy/Hristiyan Din Adamlarina Ondokuz Soru." An examination of modern Christianity. (Monotheist International, Tucson, 1993-1999, 3 editions, 100 pp); Turkish translation (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 2 edition 1998-2008).

* "Nineteen Questions for Muslim Clergy/Musluman Din Adamlarina Ondokuz Soru." A book challenging Muslim clerics. (Renaissance Institute, Tucson, 1991, 66 pp.; The Monotheist Productions Int., Tucson, 1992, 80 pp.); Turkish version (Gosterge, Istanbul, 1992, 72 pp.; Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1997-2008, 10 editions, 110 pp.). The English version is currently revised for a possible publication.

* "Censored Essays/Sakincali Yazilar." A rebuttal of published articles critical of "Interesting Questions-2." (Devlet, Istanbul, 1989, 2 editions,100 pp.)

* "Books Are Dangerous/Kitap Okumanin Zararlari." A book urging the reader to become a critical thinker. (Beyan, Istanbul, 1988, 106 pp.)

* "Interesting Questions-2/Ilginç Sorular-2." (Yuzondort, Istanbul, 1987, 190 pp.; Beyan, Istanbul, 1988, 2nd-3rd editions, 190 pp; A revised version was later published by Ozan, Istanbul, 5th edition, 1999, 184 pp.)

* "Interesting Questions-1/Ilginc Sorular-1." Essays on religion, philosophy, and politics. (Inkilab, Istanbul, 1985-1987, 8 editions, 214 pp.; Beyan, Istanbul, 1988, 9th edition, 214 pp.)

* "Chemical Properties of Iron in the Quran/Kuran'da Demirin Kimyasal Esrari." A booklet on Qur'an 57:25. (Timas, Istanbul, 1984, 48 pp.)

* "Is The Bible God's Word?/Kitab-i Mukaddes Allah Sözü müdür?" Critical evaluation of the Bible. (Inkilab, Istanbul, 1984, 2 editions, 164 pp.)

* "The 40th Commandment of Joseph/Yusuf'un 40. Emri." Poems (Madve, Istanbul, 1984, 72 pp.)

* "Quran, the Ultimate Miracle|Kuran En Buyuk Mucize." A book co-authored with Ahmad Deedat re Islam and science. (Inkilab, Istanbul, 1983-88, 16 editions, 204 pp.).

* "The Interrogation/Sorusturma." A novel about police interrogation and torture of a political detainee (XYZ, Istanbul, 1982, ??? pp.).

= English publications by Edip Yuksel =

With the exception of the Quran: a Reformist Translation, all published by the United Submitters own press.

* "The Quran: A Reformist Translation" (August 2007) The Reformist Translation of the Quran offers a non-sexist and non-sectarian understanding of the divine text; it is the result of collaboration between three translators, two men and a woman. It explicitly rejects the authority of the clergy to determine the likely meaning of disputed passages. It uses logic and the language of the Quran itself as the ultimate authority in determining likely meanings, rather than ancient scholarly interpretations rooted in patriarchal hierarchies. It offers extensive cross-referencing to the Bible and provides arguments on numerous philosophical and scientific issues. It is God's message for those who prefer reason over blind faith, for those who seek peace and ultimate freedom by submitting themselves to the Truth alone.

[http://www.brainbowpress.com/ Brainbow Press]

* "Manifesto for Islamic Reform" (English; Turkish). [http://www.brainbowpress.com/ Brainbow Press]

[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979671507 Amazon.com]

* "The Prime Argument/Asal Tartisma" (English; Turkish). A two-round argument with Prof. Carl Sagan regarding claims for a mathematical structure in the Qur'an. (The Monotheist International, Tucson, 1995, 64 pp.); Turkish translation (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1998, 92 pp.)
* "Running Like Zebras" (English). An Internet debate with Abdurrahman Lomax. (The Monotheist International, Tucson, 1995, 114 pp.)
* "Unorthodox Essays" (English). Essays on usury, domestic violence, and abortion. (The Monotheist International, Tucson, 1994, 28 pp.)
* "Nineteen Questions for Christian Clergy/Hristiyan Din Adamlarina Ondokuz Soru" (English; Turkish). An examination of the teachings and practices of modern Christianity. (Monotheist International, Tucson, 1993-1999, 3 editions, 100 pp); Turkish translation (Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1998).
* "Nineteen Questions for Muslim Clergy/Musluman Din Adamlarina Ondokuz Soru" (English; Turkish). Criticism of the Muslim clergy. (Renaissance Institute, Tucson, 1991, 66 pp.; The Monotheist Productions Int., Tucson, 1992, 80 pp.); Turkish version (Gosterge, Istanbul, 1992, 72 pp.; Ozan Publishing, Istanbul, 1997-2001, 5 editions, 110 pp.).

References

External links

* [http://19.org 19.org]
* [http://islamicreform.org/manifesto/manifesto Manifesto for Islamic Reform]
* [http://www.yuksel.org Edip Yuksel's official site]
* [http://www.brainbowpress.com Quran: a Reformist Translation]
* [http://www.Quran.org/yuksel Yuksel's publications]
* [http://www.kitapyurdu.com/yazar/9849/edipyuksel Yuksel's Turkish publications]
* [http://www.ozanyayincilik.com Yuksel's publisher]
* [http://www.muslimheretics.com A Celebration of Heresy Conference]
* [http://19.org/?books Intelligent People's guide to code-19 and a debate between Edip Yuksel and Ali Sina]
* [http://thestory.org/archive/?b_start:int=5 Yuksel interviewed on thestory.org under "Inside The Mind Of A Suicide Bomber"]
* [http://thestory.org/archive/?b_start:int=5 Interview]

Persondata
NAME= Yuksel, Edip
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=former member of the United Submitters International
DATE OF BIRTH=1957
PLACE OF BIRTH=Turkey
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=