PRESS RELEASES

Grand Imam gifts His Holiness Pope Francis painting of a section of the Document on Human Fraternity

Pope Francis gifts Grand Imam with a model olive tree

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 have exchanged gifts during their recent historic visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain and participation in the ’Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence’.

The Grand Imam and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders presented His Holiness Pope Francis with a painting of a section from the historic Document on Human Fraternity which was co-signed by the two religious symbols in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. The painting features some of the most prominent values within the Document including: dialogue between east and west, peace, spreading tolerance, coexistence, cooperation, fraternity and love. The painting also includes the last sentence within the Document.

The painting is the work of world-renowned calligrapher and muralist Diaa Allam, who holds the Guinness record for the longest glow-in-the-dark mural in the world. The painting features royal Arabic calligraphy typically used for official titles as well as Islamic inscriptions, manuscripts, and architecture.

For his part, His Holiness Pope Francis gifted the Grand Imam with a model olive tree made of iron and featuring a gold leaf. Known as the ‘Tree of Life, it carries with it the historic meanings of peace, purity, and solace. It was gifted to the Grand Imam as a symbolic wish for a longstanding and prosperous relationship between the pair.

The Grand Imam and Pope Francis had conducted an official meeting during their recent visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain and participation in the ’Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence’ which came following an official invitation from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting is considered the seventh leg of the ‘Dialogue between East and West which was organized by the Muslim Council of Elders and aims to promote global coexistence and peace.

The Muslim Council of Elders has hosted a seminar at the Sharjah International Book Fair titled ‘Women and the Culture of Tolerance’ featuring Tunisian businesswoman, 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Zayed Award for Human Fraternity Judging Committee member Wided Bouchamaoui and Dubai TV presenter Naoufer Ramoul.

The seminar discussed the role of civil and religious organizations in empowering women as well as spreading tolerance and human fraternity within society. It also discussed the role of women in spreading tolerance and coexistence on social and international levels in order to foster future generations and minimize all forms of global conflict. 

During the seminar, Dr. Wided Bouchamaoui emphasized the important role of women in spreading and promoting tolerance and coexistence amongst societies. This is achieved, she argues, by teaching many moral principles to future generations and by performing societal responsibilities in all walks of life. 

Bouchamaoui added that women have long had influential roles in helping achieve peace through their various efforts and initiatives be at home or within the community. She also called on women to maximize efforts to achieve growth and stability in their communities. 

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair 2022  from the 2nd until the 13th of November. The participation comes as part of His Eminence the Grand Imam’s vision of promoting dialogue and spreading tolerance and peace globally. 

The Council’s stand at the Sharjah International Book Fair can be found in Hall 6, stand L13 at the Sharjah Expo Center in the United Arab Emirates.

His Eminence set to chair 16th meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders set to meet King of Bahrain and Pope Francis along with other religious leaders

His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders is set to depart to the Kingdom of Bahrain on Thursday following an invitation from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in the upcoming ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence’ which runs on the 3rd and 4th of November. The forum is set to be hosted under the patronage of the His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and will be attended by His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church alongside 200 religious leaders and prominent academic and media figures from around the world.

The Grand Imam is also scheduled to hold a number of high-profile meetings during his visit, namely with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church along with other religious leaders who will be participating in the Forum, who will meet with His Eminence on his first day in the Kingdom.

On the second day of the visit, the Grand Imam alongside His Majesty the King of Bahrain and His Holiness Pope Francis will jointly plant a palm tree to symbolize joint determination in the face of climate change. This will then be followed by the closing session of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum, which will feature participation from the Grand Imam, His Majesty the King of Bahrain and His Holiness Pope Francis. 

The Grand Imam is also set to chair the 16th meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders which will include a joint meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church alongside senior figures from the Holy See. 

On the third day, His Eminence is set to hold a number of important meetings with prominent Islamic and Christian organizations such as the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain alongside university and youth leaders from Bahrain and members of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders is then scheduled to return to Cairo on Sunday morning.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has met Ambassador Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, Advisor for Religious Affairs in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, both sides discussed potential cooperation in the fields of interreligious dialogue and countering extremism and hate. 

Judge Abdelsalam praised the President of France Emmanuel Macron for his inspiring speech at the 8th International Meeting of Dialogue and Prayer for Peace among World Religions which was held in Rome. He also expressed the Muslim Council of Elders’ plan of action to countering religio-phobia as well as promoting interreligious dialogue and communication with Muslim communities in Europe, primarily through youth initiatives. 

For his part, Ambassador Peaucelle praised the efforts and initiatives of the Muslim Council of Elders, which he noted as greatly important with regard to correcting misconceptions and promoting true religious teachings. He also noted the positive relationship between 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.

His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Amine, a member of the Muslim Council of Elders has praised the Kingdom of Bahrain for being a model of coexistence and human fraternity amongst the various sects and religious groups living within the country. 

His Eminence reaffirmed that the ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Fraternity’ is a continuation of the noble values outlined in the Document on Human Fraternity which was co-signed by 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 in Abu Dhabi in 2019. The Document, he added, represents a universal charter that paints a picture of coexistence and mutual respect for all mankind. 

He added, “The Bahrain Dialogue Forum and its recommendations will no doubt further promote tolerance and coexistence amongst people in order to avoid further conflict and warfare, whilst also encouraging cooperation and seeking solutions for humanity by helping the poor while combatting ignorance and pandemics. With that, we can look to maintain progress and security for the people of the world.”

The ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence’ is set to take place on the 3rd and 4th of November under the patronage of the His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain and will be 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 alongside 200 religious leaders, academic and media figures from around the world.

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.