C.V.

Mohammed M. I. Ghaly (b. 1976) is currently assistant professor of Islamic studies at Leiden University, Institute for Religious Studies. He studied Islamic Studies in English at al-Azhar University in Egypt and got his bachelor with Cum laude in 1999. In 2002, he got his Master degree in Islamic studies also with cum laude from Leiden University. In February 2008, he got his PhD degree from the same university. His PhD dissertation was on “Islam and Disability: Perspectives in Islamic Theology and Islamic Jurisprudence”.  

Scope of Research

- Islamic Law and Theology: The main focus in this respect is to investigate and fathom out the interchangeable relationship between early and modern Islamic sources on one hand and current social reality of Muslims on the other. Such relationship as reflected in the lives of Muslim minorities in the West and especially in the Netherlands is the main focus of his courses on Islamic law and Ethics at Leiden University. In this regard, he participated also in the niqab (face-covering veil) committee formed by the Dutch Ministry of Justice during the period 11-30 October 2006 and wrote the chapter on “Religious Considerations concerning Wearing the Face-covering Veil” in the published report of that committee.

- Medical Ethics: Relevant to the topic of his PhD dissertation, Mohammed Ghaly is interested in the field of medical ethics. He focuses mainly on the contributions of early and modern scholars of Islam in this field and to what extent these contributions affect or get affected by the current social reality of Muslims with special focus on those living in the West. He published recently a number of articles in English and Dutch on topics relevant to this field of study.

- Training Imams in the West: Mohammed Ghaly is mainly interested in studying two main sides of this issue. First, the position, qualifications and tasks of imams as to be traced in the early and modern discussions of Muslim scholars. Second, to what extent the new context of these imams living in the West would affect their classically defined position, qualifications and tasks. Mohammed Ghaly has been participating in different conferences and seminars discussing this issue. He is currently involved, together with other colleagues from Leiden University, in coordinating with Muslim organizations willing to developing a program for training imams in the Netherlands, planned to take place at Leiden University.

Education Activities

2007: participating in the Master-Committee responsible for restructuring M.A. programs and courses given within the Faculty of Religious Studies, Leiden University.

Courses Taught
- Modern Trends within Islam (Bachelor)
- Islamic Law and Ethics 1A: Rituals and Symbols (Bachelor)
- Islamic Law and Ethics 1B: Social, economic and medical rulings (Bachelor)
- Islamic Theology and philosophy (Bachelor)
- Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence [Usûl al-Fiqh] (Bachelor)
- Modern Trends in Studying Qur’an and Hadith (Master)
- Empirical Study of Islam in Europe: Conversion to Islam (Master)

Selected Publications

• “Islam en handicap: theologische perspectieven” [Islam and Disability: Theological Perspectives], Theologisch Debat, September 2005, pp. 20-23.
• “Printing the Qur’ân: Fathoming out Reasons of Muslim Reluctance”, a paper presented to the conference, Sacred Texts and Print Culture – The Case of Qur’an and Bible of the Orthodox Churches during the 18th and 19th Century, Central European University, Budapest, 2-4 December 2005 (forthcoming). 
• “Writings on Disability in Islam: The 16th Century Polemic on Ibn Fahd’s al-Nukat al-Ziraf”, in Arab Studies Journal, George Washington University, Fall 2005/Spring 2006, vol. XIII no. 2/vol. XIV no. 1, pp. 9-38 
• “Training Imams in the Netherlands: Public Debates and New Programs in the Dutch Tertiary Education”, a paper presented to the conference, L’enseignement de la théologie universitaire aujourd’hui: l’exemple de l’islam” Université Robert Schuman, Strasbourg, France, 30 November & 1 December 2006 (forthcoming). 
• “Mensbeeld in islam: hoofdlijnen in de Koran en Soenna” [Image of the Human Being in Islam: Main Lines in the Qur’an and Sunna], in Pastorale Verkenning, najaar 2006, no. 3, p. 6. 
• “Religieuze overwegingen voor het dragen van gezichtsbedekkende kleding” [Religious Considerations concerning Wearing the Face-covering Veil] in Overwegingen bij een boerkoa verbod, Ministry of Justice, November 2006, available online via www.jusitie.nl
• “The Academic Training of Imams: Recent Discussions and Initiatives in the Netherlands”, in Drees W. & P.S. van Koningsveld (2008), The Study of Religion and the Training of Muslim Clergy in Europe, Leiden University Press, pp. 369-402. -         “Islam en handicap: praktijkthema’s en islamitische ethische opvattingen” [Islam and Disability: Practical Themes and Islamic Ethical Viewpoints ], in Tijdschrift voor Gezondheidszorg en Ethiek, 15/04, 2007, pp. 40-45. 
• “Physical and Spiritual Treatment of Disability in Islam: Perspectives of Early and Modern Jurists”, Journal of Religion, Disability and Health, vol. XII. 2 (in press). 
• “Physiognomy: A Forgotten Chapter of Disability in Islam: The Discussions of Muslim Jurists”, Bibliotheca Orientalis, vol 65. 1-2 (in press). 
• “Mensbeeld en verstandelijke beperking: Visies binnen de islamitische traditie en hun weerspiegeling onder moslims in Nederland [Image of People with Mental Disabilities: Visions within the Islamic tradition and their reflection among Muslims in the Netherlands]” forthcoming
• “The Niqâb (Face-covering veil) Controversy in the West: Religious, Social, Political and Legal Debates on Dress of Muslim Women”, forthcoming
• “Conversion from Islam (Apostasy): A Public or Private Issue?: Contentions of Early and Modern Muslims Jurists”, forthcoming