The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope of the Vatican continue their calls for global solidarity to alleviate the suffering of those affected by Coronavirus.

     In a phone call on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, and Pope Francis of the Vatican discussed joint efforts to support world peace, stop wars and establish human fraternity. They agreed to continue calls for global solidarity to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, and prayed to God to bestow His Mercy through removing the pandemic from the world.

     In a post on his personal page on Facebook and Twitter, His Eminence the Grand Imam said, “Today, I had the pleasure to be in contact with my brother Pope Francis of the Vatican. We discussed joint efforts to support world peace, stop wars and establish human fraternity. We agreed to continue calls for global solidarity in order to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. We prayed to God to bestow His Mercy through removing the pandemic from the world.”

     On February 4, 2019, the Grand Imam and Pope Francis had signed "the Human Fraternity Document” (HFD) in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. The HFD aimed to enhance human relations and build bridges of communication, harmony and love among peoples, as well as confront extremism and its negative effects. This was a historic event attended by more than 400 prominent personalities including religious scholars and cultural and intellectual figures from various countries of the world.