The Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, received today, Sunday, at Al-Azhar headquarters, His Excellency Ambassador Aidan O’Hara, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation.

 

The Grand Imam affirmed his appreciation for the honorable positions adopted by Ireland in support of the Palestinian right and its commitment to the values of justice and international peace. He expressed his sincere thanks to the leaders of this country and its people who were able to confront injustice and stand by the Palestinian right with courageous positions that history has recorded in letters of light. He also stressed that these positions would remain a source of appreciation and pride.

 

 

His Eminence pointed out that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif - whose history extends for more than a thousand years - teaches true Islam to the children of Muslims from various countries of the world. He explained that Al-Azhar’s message is based on spreading peace among all people and establishing the values of coexistence and respect for humanity. This is what has made Al-Azhar gain the trust of Muslims around the world who send their children to study in it and receive knowledge from its authentic sources.

 

 

His Eminence explained that Al-Azhar has exerted significant efforts to promote peace domestically, regionally, and globally. Domestically, it established the “Egyptian Family House” in cooperation with Egyptian churches, which has contributed to eradicating sectarian strife at its roots. Regionally, Al-Azhar has worked to foster rapprochement between different schools of Islamic thought through the “Intra-Islamic Dialogue” conference, the first edition of which was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which aimed to transform relations from conflict to integration and understanding.  Globally, Al-Azhar has engaged with major religious and cultural institutions such as the Vatican, the Canterbury Cathedral, the World Council of Churches, and the Middle East Council of Churches, which culminated in the signing of the “Human Fraternity Document” by both the Grand Imam and the late Pope Francis in 2019.

 

 

His Eminence affirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to increase the scholarships offered to the Muslim community in Ireland, in addition to grants for introducing Islam to those wishing to learn about true Islam. He noted that there are 23 Irish students at Al-Azhar, some of whom are attending on full scholarships.

 

 

 

 

His Eminence also expressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to train the imams of Ireland at the Al-Azhar International Academy for Training Imams and Preachers, and to refine their skills in dealing with contemporary issues, especially those related to coexistence and the status of women in Islam. He also expressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to establish a center for teaching the Arabic language in Ireland, to serve the Muslim community there in learning the language of the Holy Quran.

 

 

For his part, O’Hara expressed his pleasure at meeting the Grand Imam and his country’s appreciation for His Eminence’s efforts to promote global peace, coexistence, and human fraternity.

 

 

The Irish Ambassador affirmed that Ireland’s position on the Palestinian issue stems from its belief in the importance of peacemaking and its rejection of the ongoing injustice and suffering endured by the Palestinian people. He noted his country’s commitment to working with international partners to forge a common stance against the violations committed against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.