Religious Ideologies of Naguib MahfouzNaguib Mahfouz, an Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner, was stabbed after expressing his religious philosophies in Children of the Alley (Najjar 1). The writer represents a threat to conservative Egyptian society. Religious militants feel endangered by the introduction of Westernized ideas, which do not conform to Egyptian culture and tradition, especially in the 1990s. Mahfouz's position on religion is veiled by his superficial neutrality in novels such as Sugar Street and Children of the Alley, both published in the 1950s. In both novels, the writer states that religion and science do not coexist. Therefore, science and socialism, rather than religion, are considered the solution to the social and political injustices constantly present in modern society. In Sugar Street and Children of the Alley, Mahfouz uses multiple techniques to explore the constant battle between religion and science for the advancement of humanity, which allows the reader to interpret his philosophies. In Sugar Street, Mahfouz presents the contradictory relationship between religion and science through two intellectual brothers who represent each idea. Ahmad and Abd al-Mun'im Shawkat are two brothers who attend the same university and live in the same house. However, Abd al-Mun'im Shawkat is a Muslim fundamentalist, while Ahmad is an atheist. Mahfouz uses the technique of making the two characters as closely related as possible to emphasize the idea that no social relationship can prevent the inevitable conflict between the two forces. Furthermore, the author reveals a certain degree of preference for Ahmad through characterization and imagery. For example, Abd al-Mun'im... in the center of the sheet... melancholy. Mahfouz states: “Islam seeks a solution to social injustice within human consciousness, while the solution lies in the development of society itself” (107). Works Cited Aboul-Ela, Hosam. "The Writer Becomes a Text: Naguib Mahfouz and State Nationalism in Egypt." Biography. 27.2 (2004): 339-356. JSTOR. Network. May 24, 2014.Al-Mousa, Nedal. "The nature and uses of the fantastic in the imaginary world of Naguib Mahfouz." Journal of Arabic literature. 23.1 (1992): 36-48. JSTOR. Network. 24 May 2014.El-Enany, R. “Religion in the novels of Naguib Mahfouz”. British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. 15.1/2 (1988): 21-27. JSTOR. Network. 23 May 2014. Najjar, M. “Islamic fundamentalism and intellectuals: the case of Naguib Mahfouz”. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 25.1 (1998): 139-168. JSTOR. Network. May 24 2014.