Al-Azhar and the Vatican have agreed to continue efforts to fight extremism and hatred, pointing to their ongoing work to ensure that love and stability prevail across the world.
This came during a meeting at Al-Azhar in Cairo on Saturday, between Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb and Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, the head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and a specialist in Islamic studies.
Vatican ambassador in Egypt Archbishop Nicholas Henry attended the meeting.
“The relationship between Al-Azhar and the Vatican remains an effective and real model for spreading tolerance and peace and confronting extremism, hatred, wars and conflicts,” Tayeb said, adding that the road of peace and dialogue is full of hardships.
He added that the world is in dire need for the values of brotherhood, peaceful coexistence and respect in order to achieve stability.
In October, Al-Azhar Grand Imam and Pope Francis met on the sidelines of the meeting on climate change entitled “Faith and Science: Towards COP26 Summit.”
Many challenges require strength and determination to endure hardships and difficulties, they indicated, adding that returning to the teachings of religions is the way to save the world from extremism and division.
According to a statement by Al-Azhar on Saturday, Tayeb said that “the leaders and scholars have a religious and societal duty to confront negative phenomena, especially with regard to moral aspects.”
Al-Azhar and the Vatican will take the necessary steps and measures to implement the articles mentioned in the historic Human Fraternity Document announced by Abu Dhabi in 2019.
