Fehmi Naji

Fehmi Naji El-Imam AM (Arabic: فهمي ناجي الإمام) (1928 – 24 September 2016) was the Grand Mufti of Australia from June 2007 to September 2011. Born in Lebanon, he arrived in Australia in 1951. He was elected to succeed Taj El-Din Hilaly on 10 June 2007,^[1][2] but by January 2011 Hilaly declared that Naji was no longer active, and that de facto he was functioning as mufti.^[3] Naji was succeeded on 18 September 2011 by Ibrahim Abu Mohamed.^[4][1]

Fehmi Naji El-Imam
Arabic: فهمي ناجي الإمام
Title	Grand Mufti of Australia
Personal life
Born	1928 Lebanon
Died	24 September 2016(2016-09-24) (aged 87–88)
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
Institute	Preston Mosque
Muslim leader
Period in office	2007–2011
Predecessor	Taj El-Din Hilaly
Successor	Ibrahim Abu Mohamed

Naji questioned Osama bin Laden's responsibility for the September 11 attacks.^[5] He was the Head Imam of Preston Mosque in Melbourne and secretary of the Victorian Board of Imams.^[5]

He died of natural causes on 24 September 2016.^[6]

Activities

Naji served as a board member on the Muslim Community Reference Group, an advisory board established by the Howard government from 2005 to 2006.^[7]