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About
Khaleel Mohammed (1955–2022) was a prominent Muslim reformist scholar and professor of Islamic Studies. Born in Guyana, he earned degrees in Islamic law from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; an MA in Judaism and Islam from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada; and a PhD in Islamic law from McGill University. He completed a two-year Kraft-Hiatt postdoctoral fellowship at Brandeis University, focusing on the imagery of the Jew in Hadith literature. Mohammed joined San Diego State University (SDSU) in 2003 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, advancing to full Professor of Religion and directing the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies as of January 2021. He taught courses on World Religions, the Qur'an, Religious Violence and Non-Violence, Sex and Gender in Islam, and Abrahamic Religions, and served as an expert witness in terrorism-related court cases while contributing to SDSU's Homeland Security Master's Program. Known for progressive views, he advocated for inter-faith marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men without conversion, argued that Qur'an 5:21 supports Jewish claims to Israel within Islamic tradition, and emphasized human rights over scriptural debates for resolution. He criticized antisemitism in Islam, estimating that 95% of contemporary Muslims are exposed to anti-Semitic teachings, and warned about cultural challenges posed by foreign imams in Canada. His publications include Islam and Violence (Cambridge University Press, 2019), David in the Muslim Tradition: A study of the Bathsheba Affair (Lexington Press, 2014), Introduction to World Religions (Polymath Learning, 2014), and Coming to Terms with the Qur'an (IPI, 2008, co-edited with Andrew Rippin), along with numerous articles in journals such as Middle East Quarterly, Islamic Studies, and Judaism. Mohammed appeared in the film Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, which drew criticism; he later accused the producers of misquoting him and demonizing Muslims, leading to praise from some Zionist outlets, backlash from others, and hate mail. He passed away in January 2022 at age 66–67.