Sheikh of Al-Azhar to the Italian President: We are waiting for Rome to announce recognition of the State of Palestine
The Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, met today, Monday, in the Italian capital, Rome, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, on the sidelines of His Eminence’s participation in the global meeting for peace “Finding the Audacity to Achieve Peace.”
His Eminence the Grand Imam said that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif appreciates the position of the Italian people in supporting the Palestinian right. He went out in massive demonstrations to express his rejection of the killing, displacement, and genocidal crimes that innocent people were subjected to in Gaza, which lasted for two full years, adding, His Eminence: “Hope is placed on these young and fair people, and their peers from various countries of the world, to triumph for human dignity, regardless of their color, belief, or race,” expressing His Eminence’s best wishes. With its fair positions, Italy joins the list of countries that recently recognized the State of Palestine, as a step towards establishing the independent Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.
His Eminence stressed that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif is concerned with spreading peace, which is the essence of the message of Islam, and demonstrating the tolerant image of this true religion. Therefore, we have taken the initiative to open up to religious and cultural institutions around the world, and these efforts have culminated. By signing the Document on Human Fraternity with my late brother, His Holiness Pope Francis, we thank God that it is still bearing fruit today, and we see its great impact in the areas of promoting dialogue between religions and cultures. His Eminence added: “We are confident in the ability of dialogue and acquaintance to confront racism, extremism, and hatred.”
For his part, the Italian President affirmed: Sergio Mattarella expressed his appreciation for the stances of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar in spreading the values of peace and human brotherhood, and his admiration for the friendship between His Eminence and His Holiness the late Pope Francis. He praised the Document on Human Fraternity that the two great religious figures signed in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, declaring: “The contemporary reality has proven the urgent need for this document, which has transcended the boundaries of the place and has become a landmark.” In the field of global peace and interfaith dialogue.
The Italian President expressed his appreciation for the speech delivered by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar at the opening session of the World Conference for Peace held by the Sant’Egidio Association, noting that the speech included important recommendations, especially with regard to the importance of everyone believing that achieving peace is a noble goal, and that it is more important than one party achieving victory over the other, stressing that humanity is in There is a need for the solidarity efforts of Pope Leo Gaza, and his encouragement for everyone to continue and adhere to the provisions stated to facilitate the transition to the second stage, stressing that dialogue must be the basis on which relations in politics are built, as is the case in interfaith dialogue.
During the meeting, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar referred to the fruits of the dialogue between Al-Azhar, the Council of Muslim Elders, and the Catholic Church, especially with regard to initiatives aimed at empowering women and qualifying youth to participate in peacemaking, stressing that these The relationship established acceptance of others and promoted positive coexistence in many societies, indicating his aspiration to continue these efforts with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in a way that serves the spread of world peace.
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