Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Ambassador Nabila Makram, the Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs, accompanied by a delegation of young Egyptians studying abroad.

During their meeting, the Grand Imam said that the mission of Al-Azhar lies in establishing peace among all people, and that Al-Azhar has communicated with the West, starting with the Church of Canterbury in England, the World Council of Churches in Switzerland, and the Vatican in Rome to achieve that noble mission. Such efforts have resulted in the organization of the Youth Peacemakers Conference in London, and the cosigning of the Human Fraternity Document in Abu Dhabi. HE sees that as a lifeline for facing the problems the world is going through now such as accelerating the pace of violence, and as a way to establish counter-violence activities, and a foundation for peace and human fraternity.

His Eminence explained that young people studying abroad have a role in introducing the truth about Islam and its moderation, and even introducing the civilization of the East in general. In addition, according to the teachings of Islam and our civilization, they should present a practical model of coexistence, moderation and understanding to the countries in which they study, and to show that we are far from violence and extremism. They should explain that the wars the region is witnessing are the creation of the West to sell their products of weapons and multiply their wealth. He called on the young people to draw their information from reliable sources, and to stay away from the groups that instill many misconceptions.

The Grand Imam explained that Al-Azhar plays a major role in confronting extremist thought and hate speech, and laying the foundations for peace locally and globally, noting that Al-Azhar has established an observatory (center) to confront extremist thought and correct misconceptions among young people. Moreover, Al-Azhar launched its documented page on social networking sites so that it may reach the youth directly, and answer their questions and inquiries without any intermediary.

Ambassador Nabila Makram, for her part, praised the important role played by the Grand Imam in fostering the values of world peace and calling for coexistence and dialogue among all people of different religions and cultures. She stressed that the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar is the father of all the Egyptians, and that he always welcomes young people and listens to their inquiries and questions, and answers them with open arms.

At the end of the meeting, the Grand Imam answered a number of questions raised by young Egyptians studying abroad, They also expressed their appreciation of Al-Azhar’s educational, missionary and humanitarian role, and the efforts of the Grand Imam in establishing the values of peace and coexistence among different cultures and civilizations.

After the meeting, the delegation visited Al-Azhar Global Center for Electronic Fatwas to get acquainted with its efforts in confronting extremist ideas and odd fatwas, praising its role in correcting misconceptions and refuting the ideas and fallacies promoted by extremist groups.