The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, “Building bridges of cooperation among religious institutions in the world is an urgent necessity”

     The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Prof. Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb said, “Building bridges of cooperation among religious institutions in the world is an urgent necessity. This is required, for the sake of humanity, to support moderate religious discourse and combat extremist thoughts. Such institutions from the East and West should join hands, supported by Al-Azhar and the Vatican, to set a general strategy on top of which “humanity” is the major priority.

     During his meeting with Bishop Nicholas Henri Tafnin the Vatican Ambassador in Cairo, the Grand Imam noted that Al-Azhar and the Vatican have common concerns. He added that such concerns are related to the revival of religion in people's conscience, minds and dealings—all springing from the teachings of religions that have come for the benefit of humanity. He also pinpointed the necessity of cooperation among religious and scientific institutions around the world in order to promote the voice of religion, wisdom and fraternity among the humans.

     On his part, the Vatican Ambassador expressed his pleasure to meet the Grand Imam, and his satisfaction with the efforts made by both the Grand Imam and the Pope of the Vatican to serve all humankind and promote a culture of dialogue and peaceful coexistence among people. He also stressed that religious scholars have a prominent role to play in endorsing tolerance of religions and combating extremism. He then noted that all people should start from the teachings of religions, adhere to their morals, and be cautious and critical of what is being published on the internet, noting that we live in a digital world full of fallacies and destructive thoughts.