John L Esposito, leading scholar of Islam and outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights, dies aged 86

John L Esposito, one of the West’s most influential scholars of Islam and the Middle East and a longstanding supporter of Palestinian, has died aged 86. The Georgetown University professor was widely known for confronting Islamophobia and rejecting portrayals of Muslims as an inherent political or security threat. In the final years of his life, he also spoke forcefully about Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the role of Western politicians, media outlets and pro-Israel organisations in marginalising Palestinian voices. In a 2024 report co-authored for Georgetown’s Bridge Initiative, Esposito examined almost 300 Facebook posts about Palestine and Israel by US presidential candidates. The study accused politicians from both major parties of devaluing Palestinian lives, reproducing anti-Muslim stereotypes and offering Israel […]