Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received today, Thursday, at Al-Azhar headquarters an official Iraqi delegation headed by Mr. Muhammad Al-Halbousi, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, who is visiting Cairo at the head of a high-level delegation.

In his name and in the name of Al-Azhar, and its scholars and students, Al-Azhar Grand Imam welcomed the Iraqi delegation at Al-Azhar headquarters. His Eminence said that Al-Azhar and its students and sheikhs have a close relationship with Iraq, which is a relationship of brotherhood, Arabism, Islam and science.

The biography of the distinguished scholars of Iraq is present in all our curricula and lectures because of their academic efforts, their contribution to religious sciences and to the Arabic language.

The Iraqi delegation expressed their pleasure at meeting with Al-Azhar Grand Imam, who is a scholarly stature and a great religious symbol. They said Al-Azhar Grand Imam makes sincere efforts for the unity of the Arab and Muslim peoples, spreads harmony, supports the issues of the nation, defends the tolerance of Islam and promotes its true image. They added that the Iraqi government and people appreciate the efforts of the Grand Imam and Al-Azhar.

The Iraqi delegation said the Iraqi people with all their sects are looking forward to Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s visit to Iraq, and that Iraq's governorates, neighborhoods, historical landmarks and scholars are ready for this important visit. Such a visit represents a strong message of the unity of the Iraqi people and their appreciation for their scholars, and the unity of the Arab and Muslim peoples in the face of violence and extremism, and their adherence to their religion, values and great cultural and civilizational heritage.

The Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament stressed that the region's problems require the establishment of a culture of dialogue, uniting peoples, and upholding religious values so that tolerance and brotherhood may prevail and countries become stable. Today, serious steps have been taken in Iraq to ensure its security and stability. Iraq counts a lot on Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s visit, and considers it to be a historic visit to support the brotherly relations between Cairo and Baghdad, as well as the relations with Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, which sponsors Iraqi students and imams, and spares no effort to support Iraq with its approach, moderate thought and honorable positions.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam stated that he is also looking forward to this visit, and longs to see the country and cities whose scholars and sheikhs, with their thought and efforts in the service of science and missionary, have always been the focus of his admiration. He said he was interested in expanding the program of his visit to Iraq to include meeting with the various sects of the Iraqi people, and Iraq’s historical landmarks, stressing that the Muslim nation’s unity is one of the goals of Islam. Moreover, Muslims have no other choice but this path for security, stability and prosperity.

At the end of the visit, Al-Azhar Grand Imam presented the Iraqi delegation with Al-Azhar Memory Shield as an expression of brotherly relations, and the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament presented the shield of Malwiya Samarra and Baghdad's religious and cultural landmarks.

Dr. Ahmed Nayef Rashid Al-Dulaimi, Iraq’s Ambassador to Egypt and its permanent representative to the League of Arab States, accompanied the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament during the visit. Heads of the Finance, Foreign Relations, Security and Defense, Legal committees in the Iraqi Parliament also escorted him. In addition, Mr. Khaled Jawad Kazem, Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Mr. Jaber Khalaf Awad Al-Jabri, a former Member of Parliament, Advisor to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Ahmed Hamed Khalaf, Secretary to the President, and Mr. Shaker Hamid Gallab, Media Adviser accompanied the Iraqi Parliament Speaker.