Sadiq Jalal al-Azm dead; prominent Syrian philosopher was 82

BEIRUT — The son of prominent Syrian philosopher and intellectual Sadiq Jalal al-Azm says his father has passed away in Germany after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 82.

Amr al-Azm told The Associated Press via Skype on Monday that his father died the night before in Berlin, two months after his health sharply deteriorated.

Al-Azm, who lectured at several universities around the world and held a Ph. D. from Yale in Modern European Philosophy, left Syria a year before the country’s crisis began in March 2011.

He was a critic of the government.

Al-Azm’s most famous book was “The Critique of Religious Thought” that led to him being sued for denigrating Islam.

He is survived by his wife, Iman Shaker and two sons, Amr and Ivan.