Asghar Ali Engineer
An Indian scholar-activist who championed a progressive, peaceful interpretation of Islam and tirelessly fought against religious violence.
1939–2013 (age 74)·Indian activist·Birthday: March 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Asghar Ali Engineer was a man of profound contradiction, born into the conservative Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community yet becoming its most prominent internal critic. Trained as a civil engineer, his true vocation was theology and social justice. He dedicated his life to articulating a liberation theology within Islam, arguing that the Quran's core message was one of equality, social justice, and pluralism. This put him on a collision course with the orthodox clergy of his own community, leading to threats and violence, which he met with unwavering non-violence. Beyond theological reform, Engineer became a crucial voice in secular India, investigating hundreds of cases of communal riots—from Bhagalpur to Gujarat—and publishing meticulous reports that often contradicted official narratives, holding power to account. He founded the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai, turning it into a hub for interfaith dialogue. More than just an academic, he was a hands-on peacemaker, rushing to riot-torn areas to mediate and heal, believing that understanding was the only antidote to hatred.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Asghar was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Asghar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Asghar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2013Died at 74
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Founded and led the Progressive Dawoodi Bohra movement, advocating for democratic reforms and women's rights within the community.
- Authored over 50 books and countless articles on Islamic modernism, communal harmony, and liberation theology.
- Established the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai, a leading research and advocacy organization.
- Conducted independent, on-the-ground investigations into major communal riots across India, producing influential reports that shaped public discourse.
Did You Know?
He received the Right Livelihood Award (the 'Alternative Nobel Prize') in 2004 for his work promoting communal harmony.
Despite facing ex-communication threats and physical attacks, he never left the Dawoodi Bohra faith, seeking reform from within.
His father was a priest and a scholar, giving Engineer a deep early education in Islamic texts which he used to support his reformist arguments.
He was a trained engineer and worked for the Bombay Municipal Corporation before devoting himself fully to writing and activism.
“The problem is not with religion, but with those who interpret it to serve their own political and economic interests.”
