KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today extended his deepest condolences over the passing of Professor John L. Esposito, one of the world’s most respected scholars of Islam.

In a Facebook post, Anwar said his friendship with Esposito spanned more than five decades, dating back to their first meeting in the early 1970s.

He described Esposito as an influential scholar who built the intellectual foundations for a deeper understanding of Islam in the West, adding that his contributions to Muslim-Christian dialogue were immense.

Anwar also highlighted Esposito’s role as founder of Georgetown University’s Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding and his work as co-author of Makers of Contemporary Islam.

“Esposito built bridges where others were content to build civilisational barriers,” the Prime Minister said.

He said Esposito’s more accessible works, including “What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam” and “Who Speaks for Islam?”, brought academic rigour to a wider audience, especially after 9/11, when the world badly needed it.

Recalling their decades-long bond, Anwar said he had always valued Esposito’s wisdom and guidance, calling him a formidable scholar and above all, a loyal friend.

He said Esposito was “as generous in private conversation as he was rigorous on the page” and stood by him through thick and thin.

“On behalf of Malaysia, I extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Jean, and to John’s family, colleagues and students.

“May his scholarship and the dialogue he spent his life building continue to bear fruit. He was, to the end, a true friend to the Muslim world,” Anwar said. — Bernama