Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Mr. Wang Yang, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and members of the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and his accompanying delegation during their visit to Cairo. 

The Grand Imam said that the countries are responsible for maintaining peace and providing social security for their peoples, and at the same time, they have a duty to give their citizens freedom to practice their own religious rites. He added that the source of extremist thought in some countries is wrong education and misinterpretation of some religious texts, which Al-Azhar is working to confront and address.

His Eminence stressed that the Muslim world cannot be blamed alone for the spread of extremist ideas, as there are international agendas and policies that use extremist ideology to fuel conflicts and disputes in the region in order to impose their hegemony and achieve the goals of controlling the region. He indicated that most of the victims of terrorism are Muslims, yet some people still attach terrorism to Islam.

The Grand Imam explained that Al-Azhar is making efforts at the local and international levels to confront extremism and promote moderate thought and values of coexistence and peace. It has established the Egyptian Family House to achieve coexistence in Egypt, in addition to building up bridges of dialogue with major religious institutions around the world, most notably the Vatican. Al-Azhar cosigned the Human Fraternity Document jointly with the Vatican in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, confirming that all human beings are brothers, regardless of their different ideas, beliefs and religions.

The Grand Imam stressed that the only way to confront extremism is to promote Al-Azhar’s moderate curriculum, by sending students to study at the various stages of Al-Azhar education, or to train foreign imams in a program especially designed for them by Al-Azhar. They are trained in issues of pluralism, and coexistence to develop the concept of citizenship, which Al-Azhar considers a link necessary for achieving cohesion among the citizens of one and the same country.

Mr. Yang, for his part, said that the Grand Imam is a great symbol for all Muslims, and Al-Azhar is considered the beacon of the Muslim world, and that it is held in high esteem by all countries and peoples, because of its moderate approach and its efforts to confront extremism.

He praised the ideology of the Grand Imam and his discourse that links religion, citizenship and humanity. He pointed out that upon his return to China, he will work to clarify the image of Islam that he saw represented in His Eminence the Grand Imam. He added that he will also make sure that Chinese imams are sent to Al-Azhar to be trained in confronting extremism and terrorism and instilling the values of citizenship.

The CPPCC Chairman invited the Grand Imam to visit China, and the Islamic centers and to meet with Chinese religious leaders.

At the end of the meeting, the Grand Imam presented Mr. Yang with a copy of the Human Fraternity Document and the proceedings of Al-Azhar Global Conference on Citizenship.