His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Mr. Augusto Santos Silva, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the latter’s visit to Cairo. The Grand Imam averred, “Al-Azhar is keen to build up bridges with the leaders and followers of religions around the world and to open channels of dialogue with the West. The Grand Imam noted that he believes religions have been revealed for the peace and goodness of humankind. For him, communication between them contributes to the promotion of peace. He also pointed out that he always calls upon the Muslims in the West to positively integrate into their societies, and to be an active element in their national fabric. Likewise, he calls on the fair people in the West to distinguish between the real essence Islam and the terrorist practices. He then emphasized that Al-Azhar is ready for more cooperation with Portugal to achieve peace and security in Europe and to ensure the persistence of community peace that characterizes Portugal.

The Grand Imam added that Al-Azhar has designed a program to train imams in Europe to deal with issues of concern to Muslim communities in the West, such as terrorism and societal coexistence, which immunizes Muslims from the polarization of extremist organizations. Besides, Al-Azhar is willing to offer scholarships to Muslim students from Portugal to study at Al-Azhar colleges, the Grand Imam concluded.

For his part, Mr. Silva stated that the Islamic civilization has had a great impact in Portugal, and its traces persist until now. Therefore, he stated, his country views Islam with appreciation and respect, and sees it as part of the Portuguese national fabric. He further noted that his country is keen to strengthen relations with Al-Azhar, which represents true Islam, far from extremism and terrorism. Mr. Silva expressed his appreciation for the noble role of Al-Azhar in achieving community peace in Egypt, and his appreciation for the tours of the Grand Imam and his speeches to the world. He maintained that they have had a great role in educating Muslim youth about the dangers of extremism, and in redressing the image of Islam around the world. He also lauded the dialogue rounds led by the Grand Imam with the world religious leaders, including dialogue with the Vatican, which brought considerable consequences in promoting peace around the world.