Scholars' Council
Record of pressure on scholars
Arrests, sermon bans, dismissals, travel bans and rulings forced or withdrawn — every documented case of a state pressing scholars over the five cases, with its source. A ruling that can be withdrawn under pressure protects no one; this record is why the Council publishes jointly and in full.
27 cases in 16 countries · Palestine: 19 · Sudan: 3 · Myanmar: 0 · The Uyghurs: 4 · India's Muslims: 2
Israel / occupied East Jerusalem · Israeli forces / Israeli authorities
Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine
Detained right after giving the Friday sermon at Al-Aqsa, in which he prayed for mercy for Palestinians killed by Israel and for relief for prisoners. He was released and served with an order banning him from Al-Aqsa for one week, which can be renewed. The Palestinian Fatwa Council said he was accused of 'incitement'.
Palestine2026-07-10 · Israel bans Jerusalem's grand mufti from Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week (Al Jazeera) (aljazeera.com)Italy · Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi
Imam Mohamed Shahin, San Salvario Mosque, Turin
Ordered expelled from Italy as a threat to the state. The decree cites a public statement read as supporting the 7 October 2023 attack. He was moved to a detention centre in Caltanissetta. Courts later quashed his detention and the expulsion, in December 2025.
Palestine2025-11-26 · Turin imam ordered out of Italy (ANSA) (ansa.it)India (Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh) · Bareilly police
Maulana Tauqeer Raza, Muslim scholar and chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council
Arrested together with seven others after a day under house arrest, over the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign gatherings. Police filed 10 FIRs (First Information Reports, the formal police complaints that open a criminal case). The charges include promoting enmity, unlawful assembly and waging war against the state, and he was sent to judicial custody.
India's Muslims2025-09-27 · Bareilly: Maulana Tauqeer Raza arrested, 10 FIRs book hundreds of Muslims over 'I Love Muhammed' campaign (Maktoob Media) (maktoobmedia.com)Austria · Austrian prosecuting authorities (Vienna Regional Court)
Former imam (61) of the Assalam Mosque, Vienna-Meidling
Charged with incitement to hatred (Verhetzung) over two Facebook posts, written as prayers, from January 2024, after 7 October. The posts called on God to kill 'the criminal Zionists and their supporters'. Trial set for 8 October 2025 at the Vienna Regional Court.
Palestine2025-09-12 · Anklage gegen Wiener Imam nach antisemitischen Postings (Charges against Vienna imam over antisemitic posts) (Vol.at) (vol.at)Israel / occupied East Jerusalem · Israeli police
Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Banned from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months, until January 2026, over a Friday sermon in late July 2025 about the worsening conditions and growing starvation in Gaza. According to his lawyer, there was no questioning or hearing first. This followed an earlier eight-day ban over the same sermon.
Palestine2025-08-06 · Israel bars Jerusalem's top Muslim cleric from Al-Aqsa: lawyer (The New Arab) (newarab.com)Egypt · Office of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Al-Azhar (Egypt's top Islamic institution) and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb
Al-Azhar removed a statement it had just published. The statement called the starvation in Gaza a 'fully fledged genocide' and said that states arming Israel were partners in it. According to two sources close to Al-Azhar and the presidency, it was taken down after a request from the president's office. Al-Azhar said it withdrew the statement because it could affect ceasefire negotiations.
Palestine2025-07-22 (published Tuesday; deleted the next day, per the article of 24 July 2025) · Egypt pressures top Islamic institution to withdraw statement condemning Israeli siege of Gaza (Middle East Eye) (middleeasteye.net)Israel / occupied East Jerusalem · Israeli authorities
Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Given an initial eight-day ban from Al-Aqsa Mosque over his late-July Friday sermon on starvation in Gaza. The six-month ban of 6 August 2025 came after this one.
Palestine2025-07 (late July 2025; exact day not given in source) · Israel bars Jerusalem's top Muslim cleric from Al-Aqsa: lawyer (The New Arab) (newarab.com)France · Tribunal correctionnel de Marseille (Marseille criminal court), on prosecution by the French state
Imam Ismaïl (Smaïn Bendjilali), Bleuets mosque, Marseille
Convicted of 'apologie du terrorisme' (glorifying terrorism) for a July 2024 post on X that called the 7 October attack 'legitimate defence'. Sentence: six months suspended prison, a €2,000 fine, a five-year loss of civic rights and entry on the terrorism-offender register (FIJAIT). He was acquitted over a second post about Israeli soldiers.
Palestine2025-05-30 · Prison avec sursis pour un imam marseillais poursuivi pour apologie du terrorisme (Times of Israel, French edition) (fr.timesofisrael.com)United States · US Department of Homeland Security / Secretary of State
Dr Badar Khan Suri, postdoctoral scholar, Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University
Detained outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, and placed in deportation proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he was 'spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media'. The Secretary of State had determined he was deportable.
Palestine2025-03-17 · Georgetown University scholar detained by ICE (Boston Globe) (bostonglobe.com)France · French Interior Ministry (expulsion procedure); French court (sentence)
Imam Abdourahmane Ridouane, Al Farouk Mosque, Pessac
Placed in administrative detention in August 2024 and arrested in October 2024. He was then sentenced to four months suspended prison and a two-year ban from French territory for 'apology for terrorism', over posts including praise of Ismail Haniyeh.
Palestine2025-03-10 · Imam Sentenced in France Over Apology for Terrorism (Morocco World News) (moroccoworldnews.com)Israel / occupied West Bank · Israel Police
Unnamed imam (49) of a mosque in Qalqilya
Arrested on suspicion of incitement and of supporting terrorism. Police said he spoke inciting words in Friday prayers and supported fighters in Gaza. A military court extended his detention by eight days.
Palestine2024-09-09 · Police arrest Kalkilya imam for incitement, support for terrorism (Jerusalem Post) (live.jpost.com)Israel / occupied East Jerusalem · Israeli police
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque and former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Arrested after a Friday sermon in which he mourned the assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Police then banned him from Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards for six months.
Palestine2024-08-02 (arrest); 2024-08-08 (ban confirmed) · Israel bans Imam of Al-Aqsa Ekrema Sabri from entering mosque for six months after he eulogised Ismail Haniyeh (The New Arab) (newarab.com)Sudan · General Intelligence Service, Sennar state
Imam Zain Salem Ambada, Wad Al-Basha Mosque, Sennar
Arrested for a second time. He is known for humanitarian work and calls to end the war. He had earlier been held from December 2023 for over four months without charge.
Sudan2024-06 (mid-June 2024) · Sudan: CFJ reports arrest of activist imam in Sennar (Committee for Justice) (cfjustice.org)India (Jammu and Kashmir) · Jammu and Kashmir authorities
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief cleric of Jamia Masjid, Srinagar
Kept from leaving his home to give the Friday sermon, and Jamia Masjid was shut. Officials cited fears of protests over the Israel-Palestine conflict. His organisation had issued statements of grief over Palestinian deaths.
PalestineIndia's Muslims2023-10-13 · Kashmir: Friday prayer disallowed in Jamia Masjid over fear of protests over Israel-Palestine war (Maktoob Media) (maktoobmedia.com)Israel / occupied East Jerusalem · Israeli security agents / Israeli authorities
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri
Banned from travelling abroad. He first received a one-month order on 29 June 2023, and on 11 July 2023 it was extended to six months. The stated reason was national security. Sabri called the decision unjust and said it 'infringes on the freedom of expression'.
Palestine2023-07-11 · Israel bars former Mufti of Jerusalem from travelling abroad, arrests another (The New Arab) (newarab.com)Sudan · Sudanese Military Intelligence (Ammunition Intelligence Division)
Sheikh Mousa Burma, imam of Falah Mosque, El Doroshab, Khartoum North
Raided and detained by military intelligence. He was accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) 'because of his call for an end to the war in a sermon'. He had refused to pray for victory for either side.
Sudan2023-06 (early June 2023) · Sudan Military Intelligence continues to detain critical voices (Dabanga) (dabangasudan.org)Israel · Israeli police
Sheikh Yusuf Albaz, imam in Lod
Arrested on suspicion of incitement over things he published about Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan clashes. He had already been charged in July 2021 over social media posts.
Palestine2022-04-30 · Lod imam arrested for suspected incitement after Temple Mount clashes (Times of Israel) (timesofisrael.com)India (Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh) · Uttar Pradesh Police (Azamgarh)
Maulana Yasir Akhtar
Arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) after a Facebook post asking Muslims to put Palestinian flags on their homes and vehicles after Friday prayers, in solidarity with Gaza.
Palestine2021-05-20 · UP police arrest cleric for pro-Palestine appeal (Ummid.com) (ummid.com)Israel · Israeli police, Shin Bet, State Prosecutor
Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, vice-president of the Islamic Movement in Israel
Arrested on 14 May 2021, during the protests over Sheikh Jarrah, the raids on Al-Aqsa and the war on Gaza. On 27 May 2021 he was indicted for incitement to terrorism and violence and for identifying with a terrorist organisation, over Facebook posts and a public speech. The Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service) said it had warned him to stop addressing the public.
Palestine2021-05-14 (arrest); 2021-05-27 (indictment) · Israel indicts senior Islamic Movement leader Kamal al-Khatib on 'terrorism' charges (Middle East Eye) (middleeasteye.net)Saudi Arabia · Saudi authorities
Hemdullah Abduweli (Aimidoula Waili), Uyghur religious scholar
Held without charge or trial since November 2020 in Dhahban intelligence prison near Jeddah, and faced deportation to China. He had given a speech to Uyghurs in Saudi Arabia about conditions in Xinjiang, and feared China had asked for his detention.
The Uyghurs2020-11 (detention); HRW report 2022-01-10 · Saudi Arabia: Imminent Deportation of Uyghur Detainees (Human Rights Watch) (hrw.org)Israel · Israeli court (Haifa)
Sheikh Raed Salah
Sentenced to 28 months in prison for 'incitement to terror' over speeches he made after the 2017 attack on police at Al-Aqsa. He had been convicted in November 2019.
Palestine2020-02-10 · Israel sentences Palestinian cleric Raed Salah to 28 months in prison (The New Arab) (newarab.com)China · Chinese court
Rahile Dawut, Uyghur ethnographer (scholar of Uyghur folklore and Islamic sacred sites)
Tried in secret in December 2018 and sentenced to life in prison for 'endangering state security'. The sentence was confirmed in September 2023.
The Uyghurs2018-12 (trial); 2023-09-22 (confirmed) · Chinese Court Imposes Life Sentence on Uyghur Scholar (Human Rights Watch) (hrw.org)Israel · Israeli police; Rishon Lezion court
Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement
Arrested over a sermon that police said was 'directly related' to the July 2017 killing of two policemen at the Al-Aqsa compound. He was held on charges of incitement to violence and terrorism, and the court extended his detention.
Palestine2017-08-15 · Israel extends Islamic cleric's detention over 'incitement' (The New Arab) (newarab.com)China · Chinese authorities in Xinjiang
Abidin Ayup, 90-year-old imam of Qayraq Mosque, Kizilsu
Detained on accusations of 'religious extremism'. A court document from July 2019 confirms the detention.
The Uyghurs2017 (early 2017; exact date not given) · Ninety-Year-Old Uyghur Imam Confirmed Detained in Xinjiang But Condition Unknown (Radio Free Asia) (rfa.org)Sudan (El Geneina, West Darfur) · Sudanese security authorities
Sheikh Yousif Abdullah Abakar
Detained after an Eid al-Fitr sermon that held the government responsible for protecting the lives of Darfur's people. He was then moved to Khartoum. This was his second detention.
Sudan2016-07 · West Darfur cleric detained for second time (Dabanga) (dabangasudan.org)China · Xinjiang court (Urumqi)
Ilham Tohti, Uyghur economics professor
Sentenced to life in prison for 'separatism'. He had criticised the government's Xinjiang policies and ran a website on Uyghur rights.
The Uyghurs2014-09-23 · Chinese Court Jails Uighur Scholar For Life on 'Separatism' Charge (NBC News) (nbcnews.com)United Kingdom · Home Secretary Theresa May / UK Home Office
Sheikh Raed Salah
Arrested outside his London hotel during a speaking tour, then held for deportation. On 7 April 2012 the Upper Immigration Tribunal upheld his appeal. An earlier ruling had found his detention unlawful and awarded him damages.
Palestine2011-06-28 · Palestinian leader wins UK deportation appeal (Al Jazeera) (aljazeera.com)