His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb received a delegation of Danish religious leaders accompanied by Susan Shane, the Danish Ambassador to Cairo. The Grand Imam averred that religions are sent down to humanity for prosperity, not for misery, and therefore Al-Azhar is keen to consolidate relations with religious leaders around the world. In this vein, it held several dialogue rounds with the Church of Canterbury in Britain, the World Council of Churches, and the Vatican. Here, the Grand Imam stressed that the Egyptian Muslim-Christian relations is a model for coexistence among the members of the same society, which is grounded on citizenship. For the Grand Imam, the term “citizenship” should replace “minorities,” which entrenches division and alienation, noting that the duty of religious leaders is to keep religions away from political conflicts.

For their part, the members of the Danish delegation expressed their aspiration to foster relations with Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, with the aim of bringing about real development based on disseminating peace among the peoples of the world.