PRESS RELEASES

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.”