Fehmi Naji

{{Short description|Lebanese-Australian imam and Grand Mufti of Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}

{{Infobox religious biography

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Fehmi Naji El-Imam

| honorific-suffix =

| native_name = {{langx|ar|فهمي ناجي الإمام}}

| native_name_lang = Arabic

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| religion = Islam

| denomination = Sunni

| institute = Preston Mosque

| education =

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| nationality =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = 1928

| birth_place = Lebanon

| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|09|24|1928|df=y}}

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| title = Grand Mufti of Australia

| period = 2007–2011

| consecration =

| predecessor = Taj El-Din Hilaly

| successor = Ibrahim Abu Mohamed

| reason =

}}

{{Islam in Australia}}

Fehmi Naji El-Imam AM ({{langx|ar|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,{{cite news |last1=Zwartz|first1=Barney |title=Hilali out as Mufti, moderate in |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/hilali-out-as-mufti-moderate-in/2007/06/10/1181414138977.html |accessdate=29 January 2015 |work=The Age |date=11 June 2007}}[http://www.islamicnews.org.sa/en/search1.php?misc=search&subaction=showfull&id=1181656415&archive=&cnshow=news&start_from=& Fehmi Naji El-Imam named new Australian mufti] International Islamic News Agency {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001518/http://www.islamicnews.org.sa/en/search1.php?misc=search&subaction=showfull&id=1181656415&archive=&cnshow=news&start_from=& |date=28 September 2007 }} but by January 2011 Hilaly declared that Naji was no longer active, and that de facto he was functioning as mufti.{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Maley |work=The Australian |date= 15 January 2011 |title= 'I'm the mufti in all but name,' says Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali |url = http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/im-the-mufti-in-all-but-name-says-sheik-hillaly/story-e6frg6nf-1225988036966}} Naji was succeeded on 18 September 2011 by Ibrahim Abu Mohamed.{{cite news |url= http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/mufti-feels-duty-to-cure-radicals/story-e6frg6nf-1226141234966 |title=Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed feels duty to 'cure' radicals |first=Paul |last=Maley |work= The Australian |date= 20 September 2011}}

Naji questioned Osama bin Laden's responsibility for the September 11 attacks.Dunn, Mark; Yamine, Evelyn (12 June 2007) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/bin-laden-backer-blasted/story-e6freuzi-1111113730059 Bin Laden backer blasted] The Daily Telegraph (Australia). Retrieved 29 January 2015 He was the Head Imam of Preston Mosque in Melbourne and secretary of the Victorian Board of Imams.

He died of natural causes on 24 September 2016.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-28 |title=Sheikh Fehmi Imam passed away aged 88 |url=https://www.amust.com.au/2016/09/sheikh-fehmi-imam-passed-away-aged-88/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=AMUST |language=en-AU}}