On September 4, 2019, Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, under the patronage the Grand Imam, hosted the activities of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication (IAG), at the Headquarters of the Al-Azhar, in Darrasah District, Cairo.

The meeting was held under the umbrella of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif to discuss the progress made in combatting Polio and the respective challenges in endemic and at-risk countries in 2019, in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia. It also aimed at highlighting the IAC efforts in confronting the myths, misconceptions, misinformation and rumors about the polio vaccine and other maternal and child health initiatives.

The meeting was attended by H.E. Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Abadi, Secretary-General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Deputy Director-General, and a number of expert scientists, physicians and researchers concerned with polio eradication in many countries of the world.

The meeting came within the framework of the Grand Imam’s keenness to shed light on serious diseases afflicting peoples, and to call for more efforts to prevent and eradicate these diseases, especially in the most affected countries.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Your Eminence, Dr Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA),

Prof. Abdus-Salam Al-‛Abbadi, IIFA Secretary-General,

Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director

 Dear scholars, doctors and experts,

May Allah's peace and blessings be with you!

Welcome to your second home country, Egypt, and to Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, the age-old Islamic Institute that receives you through its scholars and students from around the world. It welcomes you and applauds the appreciable efforts that you have been exerting in protecting children in Africa and Asia from a malignant and intractable disease. Polio turns their lives into a permanent hell, and ends only with loss of their lives.

In cooperation with IIFA, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif was swift to form the Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication (IAG), which is now holding its 6th Annual Meeting, based on its religious responsibility of serving humanity, protecting it and maintaining its safety and security—all that form main branches to the tree of faith. We know that "removing harmful things from pathways is a branch of faith," [Prophet Muḩammad says]. With this being the lowest branch of faith, how would the case be with eradicating a fatal disease and protecting children who are powerless in facing its deadly implications?

Since the 2nd IAG meeting, held here in Cairo in 2015, I have been constantly reviewing the issue with Prof. Gamal Abous-Sorour, Director of Al-Azhar International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research. I have received good news from him on controlling this disease in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, and of the final eradication of it in some African countries. I would then praise Almighty Allah for guiding you to such success in performing this noble mission of yours.

Dear honorable fellows,

I deem there is no need to repeat what you all already know about Islam's care for the human beings, especially for children. We can all be proud of this faith that has been unique in its detailed legal and jurist rulings regarding children, even when they are still embryos, and during their birth and growth to their coming of age. We all conceive this primary care provided by Islam for children. We also have in our own libraries independent reference books on infant and child legal rulings. What matters to us todays, I believe, is to review these noble efforts, trace the success tracks in resisting polio in Africa and Asia, and see whether we can exert more efforts in this regard. I still reckon that Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, by Allah's Will and Power, can give a helping hand in this fierce battle that is still going on against this malicious enemy, through its 35 thousand international male and female students, 5 thousand of whom are African. Thousands of international students graduate from Al-Azhar each year. Through those students, we can recruit an army to be trained here in Egypt on motivating awareness among families regarding the necessity of vaccinating their children, seen as a religious duty on parents and on how negligence in this regard is conceived as a major sin tantamount to infanticide or murder. I am sure that some groups who have denied their fellow citizens access to respective medications in their countries would not be able to prevent their fellow citizens, who graduated from Al-Azhar, from carrying out their mission in this regard.

This brings up the need to form a training team to inform these graduates, just before returning to their home countries, on all that relates to childhood in terms of treatment and prevention of such disease, and to follow up on their activities in this regard. Besides, Al-Azhar can sponsor inviting Imams from Africa and Asia to train and educate them through a special program to be designed by Prof. Gamal Abous-Sorour in cooperation with scholars of Shari‛ah, education and medicine.

I estimate this proposal could be studied by the venerable IAG team, while invoke Allah and hope that He guides you and us to that which brings good to people and countries. Again, I would like to welcome all our respectable guests and thank all those in charge of holding this blessed meeting.

May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be with you!

Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif