Egyptian author, and trade unionist, Gamal al-Banna is born

Though he was the younger brother of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Gamal al-Banna was a liberal scholar and a critic of the Muslim traditional narrative. Al-Banna held a rationalist interpretation of Islam, believing that Muslims should be encouraged to have a more autonomous relationship with their religion. Al-Gama’s controversial views often caused friction between him and the government. He often argued that that the principles of Islam had been distorted and made authoritarian by power hungry religious leaders.  He also firmly believed that women and men are equals and thus should be afforded the same rights in and outside of the religion. Al-Banna died in early 2013.