Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received an official invitation to attend the Summit of Religious Leaders on Climate Change, held by the British government in the Italian capital, Rome, in the first week of October. While receiving Sir Geoffrey Adams, British Ambassador to Egypt, in the presence of prominent religious figures and political leaders from various countries around the world, Al-Azhar Grand Imam said that religions focus on preserving the universe and the environment, and the Holy Qur’an includes several verses that confirm that all creatures praise God—humans, plants, animals, and inanimate objects. Allah Almighty says: "There is nothing but that glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification" (Qur’an, 17:44). This confirms that everything in the universe has specific rights that must be respected. The Grand Imam emphasized that Islamic jurisprudence deals with these rights. When the Prophet (pbuh) sent an army for a battle, he would recommend them not to kill an animal unless they needed to eat, and not to burn a palm tree or destroy a beehive. His Eminence indicated that the Prophet (pbuh) was keen to preserve the rights of plants, animals and inanimate objects in various situations that indicate Islam’s position on the protection of creatures and the preservation of ecological balance. 

His Eminence welcomed the British government’s invitation to religious leaders to discuss and debate climate change, stating that this step is crucial and that there are religious leaders who duly speak about the need to protect the environment and the position of religions in this regard. HE also noted that this position is clear: to preserve the environment, raise awareness and remind the world of this problem. There must be an upper hand and a force - not subject to political calculations or economic interests - that preserves the environment and monitors climate changes through study, research, and finding solutions appropriate for them. 

His Eminence praised the cooperation between Al-Azhar and the British Council, describing it as fruitful. He added that it is necessary to work hard to benefit from the scientific cadres that resulted from this cooperation, i.e., the new generation of Al-Azhar academics who obtained their basic education at institutes affiliated with Al-Azhar and then at Al-Azhar University. They then joined British universities to obtain an abundant share of Western scientific curricula in various disciplines. Al-Azhar Grand Imam stressed that we all share the responsibility in qualifying these cadres to become community leaders in the near future. 

The British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, said he had the pleasure of meeting the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, today to discuss the UK’s cooperation with Al-Azhar in the fields of climate and education. “Climate change is an issue that concerns all of us, whether we are politicians, religious leaders, or citizens; we encourage all organizations to play their role. We are keen to work with Al-Azhar to identify ways to cooperate and enhance the efforts of religions to raise awareness of this global challenge”. The Ambassador added that they discussed joint projects in education, where the UK offers scholarships for those wishing to study there, and that he supports Al-Azhar in its aspirations to strengthen ties among different religions and cultures, the case which helps build a safer, more prosperous and tolerant society.