His Eminence Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, warmly received His Excellency Mr. Nawaf Salam, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, at his residence in Dubai. The meeting was also attended by Prof. Nazeer Ayyad, the Grand Mufti of Egypt.
During the meeting, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar affirmed the deep-rooted, historic relations between Al-Azhar and the People of Lebanon. He reiterated Al-Azhar’s willingness to provide the Lebanese people with all forms of support, including training the Imams and preachers and increasing the number of scholarships for Lebanese students. He also prayed to the Almighty Allah to bless Lebanon, a country dear to all Arabs and Muslims, with security, safety, progress and prosperity.
For his part, the Lebanese Prime Minister expressed his happiness for meeting the Grand Imam and his appreciation for his stances, his very effective and important role in clarifying the right image about Islam, promoting the culture of peace, and establishing the values of fraternity. Mr. Nawaf said: “We value Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, this grand Islamic institution, which has played a pivotal role in our lands through its scholars, envoys, and Azhari alumni from the people of Lebanon, those who had a positive impact on and contribution to the community with regard to establishing the values of coexistence and diversity.”
The Prime Minister presented an official invitation to the Grand Imam to visit Lebanon, affirming that his country and its people are eagerly waiting for this visit. The Grand Imam graciously accepted the invitation affirming his intent to undertake the visit at the earliest opportunity.