His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received His Excellency Mohamed Abdullah Farmaajo, President of Somalia, during the latter’s visit to Cairo.

The Grand Imam greeted Mr. Farmaajo on his being elected as President of his country, expressing sincere wishes for his success in leading the Somali people towards stability and prosperity. He stressed that Al-Azhar is ready to support Somalia in missionary and education and thus help the President realize his aspirations for advancement and progress. The Grand Imam then explained that Al-Azhar dispatched two peace convoys to Somalia, to educate Somali youth about the dangers of extremist thought, and to provide medical and relief aid to the needy citizens in Somalia. He also noted that Al-Azhar hosted several Somali imams within a program designed to train them on how to address contemporary issues, like terrorism and excommunication. Besides, added the Grand Imam, Al-Azhar is ready to host more Somali imams and increase the number of scholarships allocated to Somali students to study at Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif. According to the Grand Imam, there is a possibility of opening an Arabic language center in Mogadishu.

For his part, President Farmaajo affirmed that the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar is the leading figure of all Muslims around the world and that Al-Azhar is capable of confronting extremist ideas in Somalia, given the prestige and appreciation it enjoys among the Somalis. He added that extremist thought is only confronted through moderate thought.

Mr. Farmaajo also indicated that his country needs the support of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif in its struggle against terrorism, and to disseminate the concepts of peace and acceptance of the other. He stressed that Islam is a religion that calls for coexistence among the followers of all religions, and rejects violence, bloodshed and the intimidation of safe people.