Jakub Szynkiewicz

Jakub Szynkiewicz (born in 1884, died in 1966) - Doctor of Philosophy as well as Oriental Studies, chosen as the first mufti of the newly independent Poland in 1925. Translated a number of verses from the Quran from Arabic into Polish, published in 1935 under the title "Wersety z Koranu". During his leadership he created contacts with much of the outside Muslim World with India, Palestine, Egypt and others. Mufti Szynkiewicz also attended the Cairo caliphate congress in 1926. During the European Muslim Congress in 1935, he was called "one of the most articulate participants" [ [http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/IslamAssembled/Geneva.htm Swiss Exile: The European Muslim Congress, 1935 by Martin Kramer (from Islam Assembled) ] ] . In a dramatic episode at the congress, Mufti Szynkiewicz demanded that the director of the Instituto Superiore Orientale di Napoli, Count Bernardo Barbiellini Amidei, pronounce the profession of faith (shahada) three times before congress participants when the count appeared before the congress to ask that it formally recognize his adherence to Islam [ [http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/IslamAssembled/Geneva.htm Swiss Exile: The European Muslim Congress, 1935 by Martin Kramer (from Islam Assembled) ] ] . Mufti Szynkiewicz also oversaw the formal regulation of the newly independent Polish state dealing with the legal status of Polish Muslims in 1936. He was central in the plans to build a mosque in Warsaw that was interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 [ [http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/IslamAssembled/Geneva.htm Swiss Exile: The European Muslim Congress, 1935 by Martin Kramer (from Islam Assembled) ] ] . He died in exile in the United States as a result of the establishment of the Communist government in Poland after World War II.

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