Mohammed Hijab

Mohamed Nabil Hegab, commonly known as Mohammed Hijab, is a British Islamic preacher and YouTuber, born in London on 5 October 1991 to Egyptian immigrant parents. ^{1 2}

He is known for public debates and interviews on religion, philosophy and politics, and for media appearances on the Palestinian question. The Arabic article reports that his YouTube channel has passed 1.2 million subscribers, a platform figure as reported there and recorded here only with its date. ³

He holds a BA in Politics from Queen Mary University of London, a BA in Arabic and Islamic Sciences from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, an MA in Islamic Studies from SOAS University of London, an MA in history from Queen Mary, and an MTh in Applied Theology from the University of Oxford, and is pursuing a PhD in the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Birmingham. ¹

He began uploading content to YouTube on 16 June 2015, starting with a video on Arabic pronunciation. ¹

In May 2018, his trainee teaching contract at Harris Academy Rainham in East London was terminated following his attendance at a freedom of speech rally in Whitehall. ¹

He launched a podcast in 2020 on which he has hosted well-known figures, according to the Arabic article. ³

He has interviewed and debated well-known figures, including academic Norman Finkelstein in 2020, linguist Noam Chomsky in 2021, psychologist Jordan Peterson in 2021 and 2022, and online personality Andrew Tate following his conversion to Islam in 2022; his discussion with Peterson focused on interfaith dialogue, interpretations of Islam, and the need for difficult conversations about religion. ¹

He has also debated Christian apologists such as David Wood in 2018 and William Lane Craig in 2024, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali in 2022. ¹

In October 2023 he appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored to discuss the Gaza war, and in November 2023 he debated U.S.-based Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. He told Anadolu Agency that Muslim leaders and populations must show greater resolve over injustices in Gaza, and accused the U.S. and EU of double standards regarding Israel's actions. ¹

This section should be read as a presentation of different positions reported by the sources, not as a verdict of the museum on them.

His position as the Arabic article presents it: the Arabic article records that he has consistently opposed antisemitism and drawn a clear distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, that his criticisms are directed at Israeli government policies rather than at the Jewish people, and that his criticism of the Hindutva ideology is not aimed at Hindus as a religious group. ³

Criticism of him: The Jewish Chronicle described him as a controversial anti-Israel campaigner and criticised the BBC for featuring him in its 2021 documentary on antisemitism, as did the Campaign Against Antisemitism; The Jerusalem Post reported that he made false antisemitic and anti-Zionist claims in his televised debate with Boteach, as the English article reports. ¹

Javad Hashmi, a Harvard University scholar of Islamic studies, places Hijab among a group of Muslim male influencers who position themselves against Western values and promote a version of Islam that Hashmi characterises as misogynistic, according to the article. ¹

The 2022 Leicester unrest: Hijab appeared in a widely circulated video addressing a group of Muslim men with remarks about reincarnation that were criticised as disrespectful to Hindus. He later stated that he did not intend to mock Hindu beliefs and apologised if his comments were perceived that way, explaining that his presence in Leicester was intended to de-escalate tensions and discourage unlawful behaviour. The Spectator published an article alleging that he had exacerbated tensions, and in August 2025 a British judge ruled that the article was substantially true. ¹

The defamation suit: in December 2024 Hijab filed a defamation lawsuit against The Spectator and associate editor Douglas Murray, claiming the article falsely portrayed him as inciting unrest. He lost the suit in August 2025, the judge ruling that Murray's article was "substantially true" and that no "significant harm" had been caused to him. ¹

Cancellations and an entry ban: a speaking event at Trinity College Dublin in March 2023 was cancelled over security concerns after objections to his association with Andrew Tate and his criticism of feminism and LGBT rights. A conference in Burlington, Canada, in February 2025 was cancelled after local officials voiced concerns over hate speech. The Dutch government imposed an entry ban on him the same month, which a court in The Hague overturned for lack of evidence. In Norway, parliamentarian Kjell Ingolf Ropstad raised concerns about his speech at an Islam Net event in Oslo; Hijab denied the accusations and issued a detailed rebuttal. ¹

Through his YouTube channel and social platforms Hijab has reached a wide audience of English-speaking Muslim youth; the Arabic article reports more than 1.2 million subscribers to his channel, and platform figures change constantly. ^{3 2}

• The defined sources cited above, registered in data/source/.
• Later translations and edits of this article need periodic review with clear update dates.