admin

The Muslim Council of Elders has hosted the fourth seminar at its stand at the Cairo International Book Fair 2023. Titled ‘A step towards promoting Human Fraternity’, the seminar was presented by Dr. Nahla Al Saidi, advisor to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for International Student Affairs, who discussed ways to promote coexistence and human fraternity. 

During the seminar, Al Saidi remarked, “Achieving human fraternity entails working to create societies free of wars and conflicts as well as having peaceful individuals who live in harmony with one another. It also involves recognizing that the only way to bring about global peace and human fraternity is to uphold the lofty ideals of Islam and its divine law, which call for mercy and interdependence. I call for Humanity to unite to disseminate those ideals and values among people, and to aid those attempting to doing so.”

The advisor to the Grand Imam for International Student Affairs added, “The Document on Human Fraternity which was co-signed on the 4th of February 2019 by 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 in Abu Dhabi is filled with ideals that can guide humanity towards achieving world peace and happiness for individuals and societies alike, to go with reawakening religious conviction within people.”

Al Saidi continued, “The Document on Human Fraternity urged people to adopt the values of mercy, justice, and tolerance and warned us that the world we live in is not a place for conflict, disharmony, and war but for cooperation and acquaintance. For the document to become a reality in our lives, the entire world must adopt it wholeheartedly.”

She concluded by emphasizing the important role of religious and cultural institutions as well as thinkers and academics in spreading coexistence and promoting human fraternity for the sake of global peace. She also thanked Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders for their efforts in making human fraternity a global reality.

The Council’s participation at the Cairo International Book Fair comes as part of His Eminence the Grand Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace globally as well as building bridges of cooperation with people of all backgrounds. The Council’s participation at the Cairo International Book Fair is located in Hall 4 next to the Al-Azhar stand at the Egypt International Exhibition Center.

The book ‘Concepts that need to be rectified in conduct, mind, and belief’ by Sheikh Muhammad Abu Zahra, one of the senior scholars of Al-Azhar, is available to visitors of the Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion at the 54th Cairo International Book Fair.

Sheikh Muhammad Abu Zahra’s essays as well as previously released pieces from magazines and newspapers are all included in the book. The majority of these writings center on extremism and other vague ideas that sparked divisions among the Muslim world.

The Muslim Council of Elders hopes that by publishing this book, it will help to dispel many current misconceptions and uphold the moral principles of the Noble Qur’an and Sunnah. In order to arrive to truth and certainty, the book also serves as a manual for the purification of the mind, soul, and conduct.

The book includes many topics, the most prominent of which; the correct faith, faith and exaggeration in religion, reform and admiration for opinion, chaos of thought and opinion, integrity of the science of religion, treatment of deviation, fanaticism in understanding religion and delusion in understanding religion.

The Council’s participation at the Cairo International Book Fair comes as part of His Eminence the Grand Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace globally as well as building bridges of cooperation with people of all backgrounds. The Council’s participation at the Cairo International Book Fair can be located in Hall 4 next to the Al-Azhar stand at the Egypt International Exhibition Center.

The Muslim Council of Elders is set to launch its stand at the Cairo International Book Fair which opens its doors to the general public on Thursday 26 January until Monday 6 February 2023. The participation is set to include over 140 publications, including 10 new books that address various important intellectual issues, correcting misconceptions, combating hate speech, racism and intolerance while providing possible solutions to confront them. This goes with promoting dialogue between East and West and consolidating coexistence among all people.

Prominent publications at the Cairo International Book Fair include ‘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 ‘The Pope and the Grand Imam: A Thorny Path’ by the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, ‘Fatwa and Principles’ by Dr. Ahmad Mabad Abdul Karim, ‘Methodology of Thinking in Faith’ by Imad Khafaji as well as ‘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 stand will also include new publications by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders which emphasize Islam’s tolerance and the depth of its philosophical and intellectual traditions. These include: ‘Elements of Islam’, ‘Al-Azhar Methodology’, ‘Theological and Sufi Terminology’, ‘Insights on the Thought of Imam Al-Ash’ari’, ‘Heritage and Renewal: Discussions and Responses’, ‘Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah’, ‘Hadith on the Causes and Purposes, ‘Good Saying’, ‘Religion is Easy’ and ‘Morals and Values’.

As part of its continued cultural and academic role, the Council will also display new books at its stand at the Cairo International Book Fair. A number of these are set to be translated works including; ‘Religious Tolerance in World Religions’ Bruce Chilton and Jacob Neusner as well as ‘Countering Islamophobia in Europe’ by Ian Law, Amina Easat-Daas, Arzu Merali, S. Sayyid.

A number of philosophers, professionals, and clerics will participate in a series of seminars organized by the Council’s stand at the Cairo International Book Fair that address social peace, the duties of global citizenship, and the promotion of human fraternity and peaceful coexistence among different people.

The upcoming participation at the Cairo International Book Fair comes as part of His Eminence the Grand Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace globally as well as building bridges of cooperation with people of all backgrounds. The Council’s participation at the Cairo International Book Fair can be located in Hall 4 next to the Al-Azhar stand at the Egypt International Exhibition Center.

Islam raised the status of knowledge and science, acknowledging them as cornerstones of civilizations and a pathway to their advancement and success. Almighty Allah said, “Allah will elevate those of you who are faithful, and raise those gifted with knowledge in rank. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Al-Mujadila:11) as well as “Are those who know equal to those who do not know? None will be mindful of this except people of reason” (Al Zumar: 9). Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) also said, “Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him” (Sahih Muslim).

The Muslim Council of Elders is focused on supporting educational opportunities and initiatives. It strives to promote and encourage education through its publications, worldwide initiatives, events, and projects. In order to safeguard young people from extremism and radicalization and to advance their understanding of the ideals of righteousness, peace, and tolerance, the Muslim Council of Elders and its members across the world have made significant efforts in this regard in their capacities as scholars and educators.

The Document on Human Fraternity’s noble ideals and values were promoted through several educational curricula by the Muslim Council of Elders. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Italy, America, Timor-Leste, and other nations have adopted these values to spread the principles of peace and coexistence inside their respective educational curricula.

The Council calls on individuals, international organizations, and institutions to unite in order to spread awareness of the value of learning and to increase collaborative efforts to end illiteracy. This will enable future generations to learn more, particularly about the principles of human fraternity and peace as well as dispelling misconceptions, and battling hate speech, intolerance, and discrimination.

To answer calls by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to promote inter-Islamic dialogue

Muslim Council of Elders concludes trip to Iraq which featured a number of meetings with prominent religious leaders and scholars

The visit included a number of meetings with prominent Sunni and Shia religious leaders and scholars

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam: Visit paves the way for a constructive dialogue which can lead to inter-Islamic understanding

Cooperation between the Council and organizations representing all facets of Iraqi society to promote religious fraternity and coexistence

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders has concluded a 4-day trip to Iraq which included a number of meetings with prominent Sunni and Shia religious leaders and scholars in Baghdad, Najaf and Erbil. The visit aimed to build productive channels of dialogue with all facets of Iraqi society and heed the call by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Council to promote inter-Islamic dialogue.

The visit began with the Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shaiyaa Al Sudani hosting the Council’s delegation and its Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam in the capital Baghdad. Al Sudani praised the Council’s role under the Chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb in combatting extremism and uniting the Muslim world. For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam expressed the Council’s appreciation of all facets of Iraqi society for their ability to defeat terrorism through unity. Abdelsalam noted that the coming period will see more cooperation between the Council and Iraqi institutions that represent all components of Iraqi society through a wide-range of initiatives that promote religious fraternity and coexistence on local and international levels.

The Council’s delegation also met a number of prominent Sunni scholars from the Sunni Endowment Office in Iraq headed by Dr. Mishaan Al-Khazraji where both parties discussed the most pressing issues facing the Arab and Muslim worlds. The delegation also visited the Fiqh Academy of Iraq at the Abu Hanifa Mosque where they were met by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Hassan Taha, the Academy’s head. This was followed by a visit to the Scholars League Association in Iraq where a meeting took place with His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Abdelaziz Al Sheikh Hamad, President of the Scholars League Association. The delegation expressed the Council’s pride at Iraq and its historic role in nurturing Islamic scholars.

In Najaf, the Council’s delegation met a number of Hawza scholars and academics as well as university professors at the Al-Khoei Institute after an invitation from Sayyed Jawad Al-Khoei, the Secretary-General of the Institute. The meeting discussed ways to connect with fellow Muslims and Arabs with a shared culture and language and to discuss mutual challenges facing the Muslim world. The delegation also met His Eminence Sayed Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai, the official representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali Al-Sistani. During the meeting, Judge Abdelsalam stressed the honest invitation by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to conduct an inter-Islamic dialogue, which is the basis of the Council’s message of uniting the Muslim world while expressing his appreciation of the efforts of His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali Al-Sistani to unite the people of Iraq. For his part, His Eminence Sayed Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai expressed his happiness at meeting the Council’s delegation which he felt is a positive step towards enhancing Sunni-Shia relations and opening unlimited lines of communication since such meetings reflect a mutual respect between official religious organizations. The official representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali Al-Sistani also passed on the greetings of the Grand Ayatollah to His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders.

In Erbil, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam along with the travelling delegation met Dr. Pshtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government who praised the Muslim Council of Elders’ role in spreading coexistence, dialogue and correcting misconceptions. The delegation also met with the President of the Kurdistan Scholars Union as well as Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil and His Beatitude Mor Nicodemos Daoud Matti Sharaf, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop at the Syriac Orthodox Church along with various religious leaders to reiterate the important role of religious leaders in promoting coexistence.

The delegation also met His Beatitude Mar Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. During the meeting, Judge Abdelsalam stressed the important role that religious organizations can play in spreading tolerance, citizenship and coexistence. He also praised the Chaldean Catholic Church and Christians in Iraq for their patriotic actions as important members of Iraqi society. Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako praised the Council’s role under the Chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb in spreading dialogue and coexistence. He also noted the strong relationship between His Eminence the Grand Imam and His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church which is a great example of being able to overcome challenges for the sake of achieving true peace amongst humanity.

Commenting on the visit to Iraq, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders said, “This visit represents a launching point for a serious and effective dialogue with all facets of Iraqi society as per the call of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to promote inter-Islamic dialogue and unity. The visit targeted building bridges of communication for a larger-scale dialogue in the future that can lead to new understanding. I am immensely proud of the great Iraqi nation’s positive growth and development, as it is a fundamental pillar of the Arab world.”

The visit comes following calls by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb to Muslim scholars around the world to partake in a serious inter-Islamic dialogue for the purpose of unity and acquaintance and to combat sectarian division and sedition. The Grand Imam had urged that for dialogue to be established it must be based on a single golden rule: to excuse each other’s differences in order to overcome any form of hate speech, intimidation and all forms of conflict whether historical or current.

Under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders is an independent international organization that promotes peace in Muslim communities by discouraging conflict and other issues that lead to divisiveness. Founded in Abu Dhabi in2014, the Council is comprised of various Muslim scholars who are known for their wisdom, justice, independence, and moderateness. It strives to represent all the forms of Muslim communities and encourages reconciliation to prevent foreign intervention, divisiveness and conflict.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam along with a delegation from the Council have met Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil to coordinate efforts based on coexistence. 

During the meeting, Archbishop Warda expressed his appreciation of the Council’s role in promoting dialogue and human fraternity. 

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam remarked that the strong relations between His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church serve as a unique model of interreligious relations. Judge Abdelsalam also praised the positive role played by Christians in Kurdistan in promoting coexistence.

The Muslim Council of Elders’ delegation also met His Beatitude Mor Nicodemos Daoud Matti Sharaf, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop at the Syriac Orthodox Church in Erbil. During the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance and communication. 

The Muslim Council of Elders’ delegation, headed by the Secretary-General of the Council Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam visited Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, the third leg of a trip to Iraq which also included Baghdad and Najaf. The trip featured a number of meetings with prominent religious leaders and scholars.

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam have visited the Kurdistan Scholars Union. During the meeting, both sides discussed potential cooperation opportunities.

During the meeting, the President of the Kurdistan Scholars Union expressed his openness to cooperating with the Council to spreading the values of tolerance and coexistence.

For his part, Judge Abdelsalam expressed his appreciation of the role of the Kurdistan Scholars Union as well as the Council’s willingness to cooperate with the union to promote religious values to preserve family values and encourage youth to positively integrate within their societies.

The Council’s delegation also met a number of figures that represent religious communities in Kurdistan. Meetings discussed the role of religions in spreading dialogue and tolerance while praising the Kurdistan regional government’s role in promoting coexistence.

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam arrived in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is the third leg of a trip to Iraq which included Baghdad and Najaf. The trip included a number of meetings with prominent religious leaders and scholars.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam along with a delegation from the Council have met Dr. Pshtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government. During the meeting, both parties discussed ways of countering extremist thought and spreading coexistence, tolerance, and peace. 

During the meeting, which was attended by the head of the Sunni Endowment Office in Iraq and President of the Kurdistan Scholars Union, the Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government praised the Muslim Council of Elders’role in spreading coexistence, dialogue and correcting misconceptions.

For his part, Jude Abdelsalam praised Kurdistan’s promotion of coexistence and described it as a model of human fraternity for its many humanitarian initiatives which seek to enhance regional peace between people of all backgrounds. 

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Council’s Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has arrived in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan to conduct a number of meetings with various religious and social leaders.

The delegation is set to meet the President of the Kurdistan Scholars Union, the head of the Assyrian Eastern Patriarchate, the Chaldean Church to go with a number of religious and community leaders from all facets of the Iraqi society.

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Council’s Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has visited the Scholars League Association in Iraq to discuss possible joint cooperation. 

During the meeting, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Abdelaziz Al Sheikh Hamad, President of the Scholars League Association in Iraq expressed his appreciation of the Muslim Council of Elders under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for its efforts in promoting peace and tolerant Islamic values as well as spreading coexistence and correcting misconceptions by building bridge of acquaintance with other religions and cultures. 

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam expressed the Council’s pride at Iraq and its historic role in nurturing Islamic scholars. He also praised the Scholars League Association in Iraq for promoting unity and hopes to build further cooperation between the Council and all facets of Iraqi society. 

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders is currently visiting Iraq with the visit set to include a number of meetings with prominent Sunni and Shia religious leaders and scholars. The visit will feature meetings in Baghdad, Najaf and Erbil and aims to build productive channels of dialogue with all facets of Iraqi society and to heed the call by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Council to promote inter-Islamic dialogue and understanding.

A delegation from the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Council’s Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has visited the Fiqh Academy of Iraq at the Abu Hanifa Mosque where they were met by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Hassan Taha, the Academy’s head. 

During the meeting, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Hassan Taha emphasized the Iraqi people’s appreciation of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders for his and the Council’s great efforts in correcting misconceptions and combatting extremism while spreading peace globally.

He added that the Arab and Islamic worlds are in dire need for ideological fraternity through moderate rhetoric that helps overcome conflict and extremist thought that has plagued the Muslim world in recent times. He declared that the Fiqh Academy in Iraq will look to cooperate with the Muslim Council of Elders to promote the values of dialogue, coexistence and human fraternity. 

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam expressed the Council’s respect for the noble role of Islamic scholars in spreading true religious values while countering all forms of extremism and terrorism. He added that the Arab and Muslim worlds desperately require for an emphasis on dialogue and coexistence. 

Judge Abdelsalam also reiterated that Iraq is a nation that is rich with scholars and thinkers who have historically impacted Islamic thought. He concluded by expressing the Council’s desire to continue lines of communication and dialogue with all facets of Iraqi society through the Grand Imam’s calls for an inter-Islamic dialogue and by emphasizing religious fraternity as the root to human fraternity.