Dr. Hashem Saleh is a writer, researcher and translator specialising in issues of religious reform, modernity and the critique of Islamic fundamentalism. He is a columnist for the al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper and writes analysis for the Al-Awān website. He is the author of many books on these subjects and has also specialised in translating into Arabic and analysing the work of the late Algerian philosopher Mohamed Arkoun. He is one of the founder members of the ‘League of Arab Intellectuals’ and is a frequent figure on the Arab media defending the cause of reform.