Ayatollah Prof. Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad, chairman of the Department of Islamic Sciences of the Academy, issued a message of condolence on the occasion of Professor Josef Van Ess’s demise. He was a prominent German Islamic scholar and emeritus professor at the University of Tübingen:

The message is as follows: 

I hereby announce the death of Prof. Josef Von Ess, an emeritus professor at the University of Tübingen, Germany, one of the great and famous scholars of theology, especially Islamic discourse. Pof. Van Ess work on Islamic discourse is a lasting memorial to this remarkable researcher. He was invited to Iran several times for theological and interfaith talks.  I express my condolences to all the masters of knowledge and virtue, especially the esteemed professors and researchers of theology, for the loss of this unique Islamic scholar. May his soul rest in peace. For the general public of knowledge, I ask for continuous health and honor from God.