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The Muslim Council of Elders is set to take part at the upcoming Abu Dhabi International Book Fair from 22 until the 28 May 2023. The participation will include over 165 publications in 5 different languages which address the various important intellectual issues, in addition to a number of activities and events that discuss dialogue, tolerance, coexistence, youth, peacebuilding, humanity, and environmental protection.

As part of its extensive book collection on display, the Council’s stand at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is set to feature ‘Love in the Holy Quran’ by Council member His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed of Jordan along with ‘The Pope and the Grand Imam: A Thorny Path’ by the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam along with ‘Fatwa and Responsibilities’ by Dr. Ahmed Mubid Abdulkareem and ‘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 Council’s stand will also feature 11 publications by the Chairman of the Council His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar which highlight Islam’s tolerant teachings as well as its role in establishing the values of coexistence, peace, and human fraternity among humanity. Notable among these is the three-volume ‘Al Qawl Al Tayeb’ along with ‘Elements of Islam,’ ‘In the Al-Azhar Methodology,’ ‘In the Terminology of Theology and Sufism,’ ‘Insights into the Thought of Imam Al-Ash’ari,’ ‘Heritage and Renewal: Discussions and Responses,’ ‘The People of Sunnah and Jama’ah,’ ‘A Discourse on Principles and Objectives,’ ‘Indeed, Religion is Ease,’ ‘Etiquettes and Values,’ and ‘From My Old Notebooks.’

Likewise, in continuation of its general mission, the Council is set to present several new publications by Dar Al-Hokama Publishing, among them; ‘Basis of Understanding from Thought and Language’ by His Eminence Dr. Mustapha Benhamza, member of the Muslim Council of Elders and President of the Ulema Council of Oujda in Morocco, ‘The Sunnah and Its Role in Establishing Legal Rulings’ by Mohammed Saad Jalal, ‘Similarity in the Structure of Stories in the Noble Qur’an’ by Abdulghani Awad Al-Rajhi, ‘Modern Logic’ by Ali Mohammed Jabr and ‘Facilitating Logical Rules: Explanation of Al-Risala Al-Shamsiya’ and ‘Lectures on Monotheism, Creed, and Modern Thought’ by Mohammed Shamsuddin Ibrahim.

Moreover, believing in the importance of translation as a bridge between civilizations in constructive communication, the Council continues its efforts in translating purposeful books to promote peace with books such as ‘Religious Tolerance in World Religions’ by Jacob Neusner and Bruce Chilton, and ‘Countering Islamophobia in Europe’ by a number of researchers from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom; Ian Law, Amina Easat-Daas, Arzu Merali and Salman Sayyid.

The Council is also set to organize a series of seminars and discussion panels at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair that will discuss issues of coexistence, citizenship, promoting social peace, the role of youth in global peacebuilding, climate change, and environmental protection. The seminars will be delivered by various thinkers, scholars, experts, and religious figures.

The participation at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2023 is 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 stand at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2023 can be found at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (Hall 10, Stand 10D17).

The Muslim Council of Elders’ social media pages will broadcast a total of 5 programs during the holy month of Ramadan which falls in line with the Council’s strategy to employ all avenues to promote the values of dialogue, peace, and coexistence. 

Most prominent among these programs is ‘Al-Imam Al-Tayeb’ by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders. The program covers a variety of topics relevant to women, their status within Islamic culture, and how Islam values female empowerment. A number of television outlets in the Arab and Islamic worlds will also air the program.

‘Values of Humanity with the Elders’ is a program presented by members of the Muslim Council of Elders that bring to light various fundamental qualities outlined in the Document on Human Fraternity. These include tolerance, acceptance of the other, forgiveness, coexistence, citizenship, respect, mercy, cooperation, wisdom, justice, and other virtues.

‘With the Peacemakers’ is a program presented by members of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum, an initiative by the Muslim Council of Elders. It focuses on a number of global examples that have enabled people to achieve peace in their societies. This coincides with the launch of the second edition of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum, which will be held in Geneva next July.

‘Crescent of Coexistence’ discusses certain human values that can be rediscovered during the holy month of Ramadan. It includes a number of episodes such as, ‘Ramadan and Community Peace’, ‘Ramadan the Month of Giving’, ‘Ramadan the Month of Acquaintance’, ‘Faith and Reckoning’ ‘Temporary Righteousness: Do we understand Ramadan well?’.

The program ‘Think About Your Fasting’ discusses the rationale behind the legitimacy of fasting, its most valuable secrets, the psychological and physiological impact it has on a person, the benefits that one can attain from fasting, and the thirty-day school of fasting.

All programs can be streamed on the Muslim Council of Elders’ social media pages through the following links: 

Under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders extends its sincere congratulations to the Arab and Muslim worlds for the holy month of the Month. May Allah make this occasion a blessing on the Arab and Muslim worlds as well bringing love and peace to the entire world.

The Council calls on Muslims around the world to use the holy month of Ramadan to achieve noble deeds and participate in prayer while renewing love, tolerance, and respect. It also encourages charity to the needy and brings happiness to those less fortunate as the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was the most generous of men; he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan.

The Council wishes that the holy month will also be a time of peace and prosperity on the Islamic world and humanity as a whole and that it brings security and stability to all people.

Under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders expresses its concerns at the rising gang violence in Haiti which led to the killing and kidnapping of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The Council calls on the international community to protect innocent civilians in Haiti which is currently witnessing its worst humanitarian and human rights crises in decades. It points to the need to support the Haitian people in exercising their fundamental rights, accessing essential services, and living normal lives free from the threat of kidnapping, rape, or murder.

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders has met the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen to discuss potential cooperation and various prominent global matters.  

During the meeting, the Grand Imam remarked that the voice of religion, which some are attempting to silence and remove from people’s lives, is desperately needed in today’s society. The Grand Imam added that by exaggerating the materialistic vision and glorifying human needs and the pursuit of their pleasure, the world only gained more wars, conflicts, and carnage. 

His Eminence clarified that many in the West exploit freedoms to impose Western ideals and practices on Eastern and Arab cultures. This includes attempts to legitimize homosexuality in the Arab world and the Middle East through the normalization of the practice and behaviors in the media. This, he argued, is a blow to our human rights, as well as to children’s rights and the rights of families. He added that this new form of intellectual and cultural colonialism needs to cease to exist since it goes against human instinct, religious doctrine, and the natural order of the universe.

His Eminence declared that Muslims and people from the Middle East are defined by their adherence to moral and religious principles. He also pointed out that freedom of speech cannot be used to harm others or insult their sanctities and religious symbols. He also pointed to the need to help individuals overcome hardships and suffering, and we should treat Easterners with the same respect that we give Westerners because they too deserve to live honorable lives.

His Eminence also discussed the risks of illegal immigration, emphasizing that in order to find a solution to this issue, we must first understand what drives young individuals to seek asylum from their home nations and into an uncertain future. He advised that we must all pay attention to Africa, the continent of wealth and riches, whose resources have long been plundered, while also lending a helping hand to its people by encouraging them to rise and seek employment.

For her part, the Danish Prime Minister expressed her gratitude for the efforts made by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to promote the values of human fraternity, peace, and coexistence among people. Moreover, she emphasized the importance her nation places on fostering dialogue between the East and West and strengthening relations between the Eastern and Western Peoples, all of which are compatible with the Grand Imam’s teachings as well as an eagerness to uphold the right to diversity. She said that Egypt is a crucial ally that actively engages in the fight against illegal migration, which calls for coordinated measures to produce effective outcomes on the ground.

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders today met the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban to discuss potential cooperation. 

During the meeting, the Grand Imam expressed his admiration of Prime Minister Orban and Hungary’s stance on religious values and morals while rejecting social diseases and behaviors that aim to destroy the family entity, spread extramarital sexual relations while normalizing homosexuality under the veil of “rights and freedoms”. This, the Grand Imam pointed out, is consistent with the position of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders as these diseases strive to exclude religion, set aside morals, distort societies, and destroy man by fulfilling desires.

The Grand Imam added that those promoting such diseases are not satisfied with only doing so within their countries and societies, but are in fact attempting to impose them on people regardless of their religious and moral backgrounds while taking advantage of strong media influence and social media networks. Likewise, the Grand Imam praised Hungary for legally and constitutionally upholding the institution of marriage and condemning homosexuality.

The Hungarian Prime Minister, for his part, expressed his gratitude and respect for His Eminence the Grand Imam, and his efforts to promote peace as well as the burdens he carries to advance understanding and fraternity while creating a culture of coexistence and integration. Additionally, he stated that his nation is working to combat destructive global trends by bringing attention to the seriousness of actions that are inconsistent with moral and religious principles, particularly in light of the perversions that are being promoted which undermine traditional family structures and encourage extramarital relationships.

Orban added that it is incorrect to refer to these actions by their proper names and that it is important to warn of the dangers they pose to society in the name of “freedom of expression.” He made the point that this would eventually result in deception and its propagation among young people; as a result, our responsibility and resolve to combat these diseases that seek to pervert society will increase.