PRESS RELEASES

The Muslim Council of Elders has hosted a seminar at its stand in the Frankfurt Book Fair 2022. Titled ‘Countering Racism – A Deeper Look’, the seminar was conducted by the Secretary-General of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Abdul Samad Al Yazidi and Dr. Jürgen Miksch, Director of the Abrahamic Forum in Germany.

The seminar explored the role of various German institutions in countering hate-speech, racism and xenophobia, particularly against Muslims. It also reviewed statistics from a number of Germany cities which saw acts of racism take place, with results being largely mixed and different between cities.

Dr. Jürgen Miksch remarked that racist practices have increased over the last ten years with the increase in racist viewpoints and ideologies, largely attributed to the far-right. This, he points out, has increased attacks against Muslims in particular which has in turn forced Islamic and civil organizations to increase support to victims of such attacks as well as raising awareness against extremist ideologies and their negative impact on society. This has largely been achieved through continuous workshops and seminars and by encouraging media groups to adopt a positive approach against racism.

For his part, Abdul Samad Al Yazidi referenced the positive impact of some Islamic organizations in Germany in supporting victims of racist attacks. Likewise, he along with Miksch, pointed to initiatives such as ‘The Open Mosque’ which began by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, and encourages mosques to open their doors to the general public on the 3rd of October of each year as a celebration of German unity. 

This is set to be the Council’s fourth participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair which run from 19 to 23 October 2022. The participation comes as part of His Eminence the Gran Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace globally.  

The Council’s stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair can be found in Hall 4.0, stand J22 at the Frankfurt Exhibition Grounds.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has taken part in the 8th ‘International Meeting of Dialogue and Prayer for Peace among World Religions’ in the Italian capital, Rome. 

During his speech at the event, Judge Abdelsalam stressed that religions are faultless and shouldn’t be associated with wars or conflicts since they were sent to be a mercy for humanity and to provide safety and peace for all. He also pointed to the important need to spread dialogue while also searching for joint human values between people through noble instilled religious values while also keeping them away from fanaticism, hate and extremism. 

Judge Abdelsalam added, “Some are attempting to distort religious teachings for political purposes in order to create division, conflict and war while spreading hate, extremism and discrimination against others. His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders alongside His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church strongly opposed this danger with their historic co-signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi which also represented a joint urgent appeal to humanity.”

Abdelsalam concluded that the Grand Imam and Pope Francis publicly declared that religions are innocent from any form of extremism, hate or discrimination while calling on the international community to stop using religions to fuel hate, extremism and blind fanaticism. This call he added, “must be used to further revive human fraternity and to promote a culture of mutual respect amongst all people”.

The Muslim Council of Elders is set to take part in the upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany from 19 to 23 October 2022. This is set to be the 69th edition of the world’s largest book fair with the Council participating with an extensive collection of publications focused on correcting misconceptions, countering hate speech and discrimination and spreading the values of tolerance, peace and coexistence. 

The Council’s stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2022 is set to feature a number of books in Arabic, English and German. Among those is ‘Al Qawl Al Tayeb’ and ‘Elements of Islam’ by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders as well as ‘Love in the Holy Quran’ by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed Al Hashemi, member of the Muslim Council of Elders and ‘The Pope and the Grand Imam: A Thorny Path’ by the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam. 

Likewise, the Council is set to host a number of seminars at its stand in collaboration with the Higher Council of Muslims in Germany. Seminars will focus on the Council’s role in countering all forms of extremism and promoting human fraternity.  

This is set to the Council’s fourth participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which comes as part of His Eminence the Grand Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace amongst all people around the world. 

The Council’s stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair can be found in Hall 4, stand J22 at the Frankfurt Exhibition Grounds.

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders has met Pakistan’s Minister of National Health Abdul Qadir Patel to discuss developments surrounding the nation’s flooding crisis. 

During the meeting, Patel shared the latest updates on the torrential rainfall and subsequent flooding which has claimed the lives of thousands of people while displacing many more in the South Asian nation. Flooding has also damaged large areas of farmland, something the Minister of National Health described as an “unprecedented catastrophe”.

Minister Patel also expressed his nation’s deep appreciation of the Grand Imam and his efforts in spreading peace around the world. He affirmed the people of Pakistan’s deep trust of Al-Azhar and its moderate approach, which seeks to promote true Islamic teachings. He also revealed that Al-Azhar University graduates are highly regarded within Pakistan, with many occupying senior positions in the country.

For his part, the Grand Imam expressed his deep condolences to the families of the victims of the recent floods as well as the people of Pakistan. He reaffirmed the solidarity of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders with the nation of Pakistan during this especially difficult period. He stressed the need for people to have confidence in Allah to overcome this crisis.

The Muslim Council of Elders’ stand at the Arabic Book Fair in Istanbul has hosted a seminar and book review ‘Islam, the West and Tolerance: Conceiving Coexistence’ by Dr. Aaron Tyler, Professor of International Relations and Global Affairs at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. The seminar and book review was presented by Dr. Samir Boudinar, the Executive Director of Al-Hokama Center for Peace and Research.

During the seminar, Boudinar pointed to the book being part of the Council’s grand vision of shedding light on moderate scholars and writers in the West who seek to promote coexistence and peace among people of all backgrounds. Boudinar remarked that the book provides an honest assessment of the contemporary relationship between Western and Islamic cultures and puts forth the cross-cultural idea of tolerance as one invaluable approach for affecting peaceful coexistence.

The Executive Director of Al-Hokama Center for Peace and Research concluded by assessing the book’s six chapters and the theories explored in every chapter. He also reemphasized the importance and value of the book in promoting coexistence and human fraternity as well as combatting extremism and hate while calling on people to read the book when presented with the chance. 

This is the Muslim Council of Elders’ first participation at the 7th Arabic Book Fair in Istanbul, which comes as part of His Eminence the Gran Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace around the world. The event will be held from 1 to 9 October, at the Istanbul Expo Center (İFM), with the Council’s stand (B10) located in Hall 3.

Document on Human Fraternity has been a call for hope that carries a message of peace and coexistence 

The Muslim Council of Elders has always focused on humanitarian issues

Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders calls on religious leaders to recognize Document on Human Fraternity

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has spoken at the opening ceremony of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan. This year’s conference carries the theme of ‘The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic period’ and is attended by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

During his speech, Judge Abdelsalam said, “Since its launch by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, the Document on Human Fraternity is a call for hope that carries a message of peace and coexistence and is also a unique step in the process of building bridges of acquaintance between civilizations.”

Judge Abdelsalam called on religious leaders to recognize Document on Human Fraternity in order to instill trust and hope into humanity. He reaffirmed humanity’s urgent need for these two values as well as requiring spiritual development of young people globally. He affirmed that the biggest hope that can be given to humanity is that of safety within the human family.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders added, “The COVID-19 pandemic was a great shock to the entire world since the disease did not discriminate against people of any particular background. Historically, pandemics have tampered with the humanity of people, often causing fear, and thus affecting their compassion and care for others. The harsh reality has in some cases pushed societies into brutal actions often reserved for wars and famines.”

Abdelsalam concluded, “Recent disasters have confirmed the urgent need for religious leaders to fill a void in the post-pandemic era. This responsibility lies in reminding people of the importance of our humanity and the need to keep away from worldly pleasures. These issues are at the heart of The Muslim Council of Elders’ work, which has always focused its efforts on humanitarian issues. His Eminence the Grand Imam and Chairman of the Council has long campaigned for the equal distribution of vaccines and medication during the pandemic.”

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has met a delegation from the Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic Organization in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan. The delegation is in Kazakhstan to attend the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions which began today in the Central Asian country. 

During the meeting, Judge Abdelsalam expressed his great admiration of the Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic Organization, which is considered to be one of the largest and most important Islamic organizations in southeast Asia. He praised the organization for its significant role in the field of education and its long relationship with the Muslim Council of Elders. He also revealed that the Muslim Council of Elders is looking to launch a number of projects in Indonesia alongside the Nahdlatul Ulama organization in order to raise awareness of various issues among young people in the southeast Asian nation. 

For their part, the Nahdlatul Ulama delegation thanked the Muslim Council of Elders under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for its role in promoting global peace as well as advocating for dialogue and tolerance. They cited the Grand Imam’s international tours as having had a profound impact on revealing Islam’s true image as well as combatting extremism. The delegation also congratulated the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders for receiving the Astana Medal from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in recognition of his role in promoting interfaith dialogue and human fraternity.

Grand Imam: Islam calls for tolerance and rejects hate

Grand Imam: Forceful implementation of ideology on people is harmful

Moratinos praises the Document on Human Fraternity and the Muslim Council of Elders

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders has met the United Nations’ High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan in the run up to the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions which will take place on 14 and 15 September 2022. Also attending the meeting was Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders.

The Grand Imam said that Islam calls for tolerance, coexistence and acquaintance between people of different backgrounds and rejects all forms of extremism. These factors were the reason behind the co-signing of the Document on Human Fraternity along with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church which has in its own right become a universal constitution for humanity. 

His Eminence emphasized the importance of maintaining cultural identity and that the forceful implementation of ideology by some nations on people of is very harmful and concerning. He particularly pointed to the targeting of religious values, which in turn requires religious leaders to unite to counter such questionable actions. The Grand Imam concluded by declaring that there is a great disparity between many politicians and religious leaders around the world and that it is best to collaborate and unite efforts for better outcomes on the ground. 

For his part, the UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations expressed his admiration of the Grand Imam and the efforts of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders in spreading tolerance and promoting interfaith dialogue. He added that the Document on Human Fraternity, which was co-signed by the Grand Imam and Pope Francis, came at an important juncture for humanity in terms of the conflicts and wars raging around the world. He affirmed the global interest in the Document and the importance of implementing its values among young people around the world. 

Moratinos concluded by declaring his organization’s willingness to cooperate with Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders to empower youth and maintain women’s rights in societies around the world. He pointed to Al-Azhar and the Council’s impact on the ground in various societies which is further enhanced by the number of global initiatives launched by both organizations.

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam recognized for his efforts in promoting Interfaith Dialogue and Human Fraternity

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has presented the Astana Medal to Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders for his role in promoting interfaith dialogue and human fraternity. Judge Abdelsalam received the Astana Medial during the opening ceremony of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan. In attendance during the opening ceremony were His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders along with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church and a host of world and religious leaders from around the world. 

Judge Abdelsalm expressed his pride at being presented with the Astana Medal and thanked President Tokayev for providing a healthy platform that supports interfaith dialogue. He also thanked the Republic of Kazakhstan for hosting the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions as well as promoting global peace initiatives such as the Document on Human Fraternity. 

Judge Abdelsalam had previously been awarded the Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX by His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church for his efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue.

The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders Dr. Sultan Al Remeithi has praised the Arab Republic of Egypt for its role in countering hate speech and extremism, during an online seminar titled ‘Combatting Extremism and Hate Speech: A New Dawn’ which was organized by the TRENDS Research and Advisory center. 

Al Remeithi also acknowledged the commendable role of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi in implementing a strategy to stem hate and extremism which would have plunged the entire region into a state of anarchy. He also praised Egypt’s current renaissance and the many development projects underway to enhance Egypt’s standing regionally and internationally.

Dr. Al Remeithi added, “Extremism has crossed international boundaries through its exploitation of social and economic changes in often-complex societal environments. There must be concerted intellectual efforts to address extremism by enlightening and educating people in order to avoid the disaster of creating societies that are incubators for extremism.”