Muddathir Abdel-Rahim

Muddathir Abdel-Rahim
Born	1932 Ad-Damar, Sudan
Occupation(s)	Political scientist, academic, diplomat
Years active	1958–present
Known for	Contributions to political science, human rights advocacy, founding head of Political Science Department at University of Khartoum, Sudanese ambassador to Nordic countries

Muddathir Abdel-Rahim (Muddathir ʿAbd Al-Rahim; born 1932 in Ad-Damar, Sudan) holds a professorship in political science at the International University of Africa.

Career

Between 2013 and 2016, he occupied the position of Distinguished Professor and led the Human Rights Program at Islamic University Malaysia (UIM). Prior to this, from 1997 to 2013, he was a Professor specializing in Political Science and Islamic Studies and served as a Very Distinguished Academic Fellow at the ISTAC. His earlier academic appointments include roles at institutions such as University of Manchester, Temple University, Northern Illinois University, Mohammed V University, Makerere University, Bayero University Kano, and notably the University of Khartoum, where he commenced teaching Political Science in 1958 and later became the founding Head of the Department during the 1960s.

In the diplomatic arena, Abdel-Rahim was appointed Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland from 1974 to 1975. Additionally, between 1971 and 1973, he acted as a Senior Expert in Social Sciences for UNESCO, managing Research and Human Resource Development at CAFRAD in Morocco. From 1988 to 1991, he held the office of Vice Chancellor at Omdurman Islamic University, where he was instrumental in establishing faculties dedicated to Medicine, Engineering, and Agriculture.

During the 1960s, as a representative at the UN General Assembly, he played a role in shaping significant international human rights treaties, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), as well as the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights (both adopted in 1966). In 1967, he contributed to drafting UNESCO’s Third Statement on Race and Racial Prejudice.

He was among the founders and served as Secretary General of the Sudanese National Committee for Human Rights, founded in 1967, which is recognized as one of the earliest organizations of its kind within the Muslim world.

In recognition of his contributions to academia and cultural advancement—particularly in human rights advocacy—Abdel-Rahim was awarded the Jordanian Royal Medal for Distinguished Contributions in August 2013. Later, in October 2019, Sudan’s Ministry of Culture honored him as "Personality of the Year."

Publications

Among Abdel-Rahim's principal works are:

• Imperialism and Nationalism in the Sudan (Oxford University Press, 1969)
• Human Rights in Theory and Practice (Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, 1968)
• The Human Rights Tradition in Islam (volume three of Human Rights And The World's Major Religions)
• Islam in the Sudan (Dar al-Asala, Cairo, 1998)
• Islam in Africa (Dar al-Fikr, Damascus, 2001)
• al-Ghazzali's Political Thought: Its Nature and Contemporary Significance and Other Essays on Hujjatul Islam (IIUM, Malaysia, 2011)

Critical assessments have underscored Abdel-Rahim's scholarly authority and balanced analysis. For instance, Dr. Murad Wilfried Hofmann commended The Human Rights Tradition in Islam for its candid and pragmatic treatment of topics such as gender roles and minority rights.

His book Imperialism and Nationalism in the Sudan has been widely recognized as a foundational study on Sudanese nationalism and colonial history. Reviews published by AFRICA, THE ECONOMIST, THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL, BIBLIOTHECA ORIENTALIS, THE JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY, ARCHIVE ORIENTALI, and THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MIDDLE EAST STUDIES have highlighted its comprehensive research from a Sudanese viewpoint and its significance for understanding nationalism alongside British policies in the Middle East.

Abdel-Rahim has also authored numerous articles featured in both Arabic and English scholarly journals. Several of his publications have been translated into various languages.