- The brutality the world has witnessed in Gaza for more than a year and a half is unprecedented even in the Middle Ages
- Misunderstanding of the religious teaching of religion is a time bomb
- Peace, understanding, and fraternity are the core values of Al-Azhar’s message, which we work to instill in the minds of our students
His Eminence, Prof. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, received a high-level delegation from the UK's Royal College of Defence Studies, led by Mr. Philip Parham. During the meeting at Al-Azhar headquarters, H.E The Grand Imam explained that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has undertaken the pivotal mission of promoting genuine Islamic teachings, especially among its diverse students from various regions of the globe, since its inception over 1,080 years ago. He underscored that the essence of Al-Azhar’s mission is based on fostering peace, mutual understanding, and fraternity—principles that are integral to the message that we endeavor to instill in the minds of our students.
Furthermore, His Eminence emphasized that Al-Azhar is open to all people and it has established cooperation with all religious institutions both domestically and internationally. To name just examples of these initiatives, Al-Azhar established cooperative ties with the Egyptian Church through the formation of the "Egyptian Family House," which unites all Egyptian churches alongside Al-Azhar Al-Sharif. The Egyptian Family House succeeded in confronting all manifestations of sectarian tension in Egypt's governorates, as well as eliminating the term "minorities" in favor of "citizenship," which emerged as one of the most significant outcomes of the Al-Azhar International Conference titled "Freedom and Citizenship: Diversity and Integration."
In addition, His Eminence added that Al-Azhar engages in collaborative efforts with Western churches. He visited the Church of Canterbury, the Vatican, and the World Council of Churches, resulting in the establishment of numerous constructive partnerships and MOUs. One of the most important outcomes of these endeavors was the "Document on Human Fraternity," which was co-signed by the Grand Imam and the late Pope Francis in 2019. This Document provides effective solutions to the myriad challenges confronting our contemporary world, contingent upon the effective implementation of its articulated principles..
Moreover, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar pointed out that Al-Azhar spreads its moderate approach throughout the world, with 60,000 students hailing from 110 countries undertaking their studies at Al-Azhar, subsequently returning to their respective nations to foster peace within their communities and counter extremist ideologies. His Eminence emphasized that extremist groups practicing violence under the guise of religion are fundamentally ignorant and are not representative of Islam; such persons are more like a time bomb. His Eminence also expressed his deep regret for the unprecedented chaos, warfare, violence, and loss of life that the world is presently enduring, attributing these phenomena to a profound neglect of human values; the world has devolved into a perilous environment, akin to a jungle where the powerful prey upon the weak. Evidence of this is reflected in the unprecedented acts of brutality observed during the recent conflicts in Gaza over the past year and a half. In an era characterized by scientific and technological advancements along with the propagation of human rights discourses and other compelling slogans, this conflict has demonstrated itself to be both pointless and futile. For their part, the delegation members expressed their great happiness at being at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, appreciating the vital role of His Eminence the Grand Imam in strengthening relations between East and West, establishing the foundations of dialogue, and spreading the values of peace and coexistence among all people, regardless of their religions and cultures.