Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Mr. Renaud Muselier, Mayor of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and the accompanying delegation during their visit to Cairo.

The Grand Imam said that Islam and all divine religions are innocent of the practices of religious extremist currents, stressing the need to confront these currents and not allow them to expand because they represent a threat to stability and social coexistence in the East and West. His Eminence also stressed the need to avoid involving religion into political conflicts, because such involvement is one of the major causes that fuel terrorism in the world.

His Eminence indicated that Al-Azhar works in cooperation with the major religious institutions in the world to confront terrorism and absolve religions of such criminal practices. This cooperation culminated in the Human Fraternity Document that was cosigned by both Al-Azhar and the Vatican in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. HE explained the importance of continued coordination between Western countries and Al-Azhar, to convey the truth of Islam and to protect young people from being deceived by extremist claims and ideas.

Mr. Muselier expressed his country's great interest in the stances of the Grand Imam, as the greatest symbol of the Islamic world, noting that Al-Azhar's approach and positions in supporting pluralism and coexistence have received great acceptance in France and Europe. He also expressed his aspiration for more cooperation between France and Al-Azhar to preserve the values of peace and social integration in light of the attempts to disseminate extremist ideas that threaten the values of the French Republic.