Ahmed Al-Tayeb during his meeting with the Italian President: Al-Azhar and"Muslim sages" We are keen to spread the values ​​of tolerance and peace

Rome, October 28 / WAM / His Eminence the Grand Imam, Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders, met yesterday evening 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 Courage to Achieve Peace.”

During the meeting, His Eminence the Grand Imam stressed that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the Muslim Council of Elders are concerned with spreading peace, which is the essence of the message of Islam, and demonstrating the tolerant image of this true religion. Therefore, we took the initiative to open up to religious and cultural institutions around the world, and these efforts culminated in the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity with the late 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 understanding to confront racism, extremism, and hatred.”

His Eminence expressed his appreciation for the position of the Italian people in supporting the Palestinian right, pointing out that hope is placed on young people and fair people from various countries of the world to triumph for human dignity, regardless of their color, belief or race.

For his part, Italian President Sergio Mattarella affirmed his appreciation for the positions of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders, in spreading the values ​​of peace and human brotherhood, as well as his great appreciation for the friendship between his Eminence and the late Pope Francis, praising the Document on Human Fraternity that the two great religious figures signed in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi.

He added that contemporary reality has proven the urgent need for this document, which has transcended the boundaries of place and has become a landmark in the field of world peace and interfaith dialogue.

The Italian President expressed his appreciation for the speech delivered by His Eminence the Grand Imam 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 needs the solidarity of the efforts of Pope Leo XIV, the Pope of the Church. Catholicism, with His Eminence Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, to continue promoting interfaith dialogue and providing an example to young people of positive coexistence and acceptance of others.

The Italian President affirmed his country’s support for the Middle East peace agreement that was embraced by the city of Sharm El-Sheikh, and his appreciation for the intense Egyptian efforts to reach solutions regarding stopping the aggression against Gaza, and his encouragement for everyone to continue and adhere to the provisions included to facilitate the transition to the second phase, 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 Muslim Council of Elders, and the Catholic Church, especially with regard to initiatives aimed at empowering women and qualifying youth to participate in peacemaking. He stressed that this relationship established acceptance of others and promoted positive coexistence in many societies, expressing his aspiration for the continuation of these efforts with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in a way that serves the spread of world peace.

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