17/08/2026
With Deepest Condolences
Professor John L. Esposito (1940–2026)
Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Georgetown University
Advisory Board Member, 2018–2024
College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
“John L. Esposito, a great friend of 40 years, passed away yesterday. I was introduced to him by another towering scholar and mentor, James Piscatori. May Allah grant him a long and healthy life. From that meeting, we grew close—we travelled together, jointly taught courses on Islam and Politics at Georgetown, and published together.
John leaves behind a longstanding legacy of brilliant scholarship, decades of remarkable service, and—most of all—thousands of loving friends across the world. His love for Jean, his wife and lifelong partner, was admirable. He spoke of her with affection in almost every conversation we shared.
John was a decent human being, moved by faith and courage. He never wavered from the side of truth or the wronged. He wrote hundreds of court affidavits in support of Muslims in legal proceedings, signed thousands of petitions and statements calling for the release of political detainees and supporting other just causes, and generously donated from his own resources to noble causes. He was a committed Catholic who held Islam and its civilization in great respect, as he did other religions.
The last time we communicated was just one day before his heart operation. I tried to console him; he responded, ‘I just want to get it over with.’
John, it is over—but not over. You will always be remembered for your enduring legacy, your courage, your generosity, and your unwavering loyalty to your friends.
May your soul rest in peace, and may Allah accept your return to Him with mercy and grace.”
Dr. Emad Eldin A. Shahin
Professor of Islamic Studies
College of Islamic Studies
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Emad Shahin Qatar Foundation | مؤسسة قطر
