During his meeting with Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Grand Imam: Confronting terrorism and establishing global peace requires the solidarity of all world countries and institutions

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. His Eminence the Grand Imam said that Al-Azhar largely hopes that the United Nations Organization will assume its responsibilities in achieving world peace and confronting terrorism, and in taking binding decisions against its financiers. He stressed that the clear selectivity in application of international laws and resolutions and the silence of the international community on crimes against humanity constitutes a blessing of these crimes by such international institutions. The Grand Imam further asserted that confronting terrorism and establishing global peace requires the solidarity of all world countries and institutions. He also expressed Al-Azhar's readiness to support the counterterrorism efforts of the United Nations and international institutions, by providing the expertise of Al-Azhar bodies and Observatory in this field. He added that Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif is making great efforts to achieve world peace, communicate with the West and extend bridges of dialogue with religious institutions and leaders, in order to illustrate the constituents of peace in religions and underscore community coexistence. 

For his part, Mr. Voronkov noted that the United Nations appreciates the Grand Imam’s vision on redressing action mechanism and decision-making in international institutions. He also expressed the UN’s keenness to benefit from the Grand Imam’s significant vision in solving problems facing the international community, on top of which is terrorism.

Moreover, Mr. Voronkov indicated the UN’s aspiration to cooperate with Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and benefit from its remarkable experience in combating extremism, especially through Al-Azhar Observatory, which has great expertise and presents a pioneering experience in refuting extremist ideas. He stressed the importance of mainstreaming this successful expertise around the world. 

Mr. Voronkov then praised the key role played by Al-Azhar, under the leadership of the Grand Imam, in the field of promoting world peace and interfaith & intercultural dialogue. He maintained that these efforts contribute to curbing extremism that finds in the absence of dialogue and coexistence a fertile ground for expansion and bloodshed. 

During his visit to Al-Azhar International Center for Electronic Fatwas, Mr. Voronkov was acquainted with the activities of the center, its working mechanisms, and the key studies and reports it issues. He then expressed his admiration for the work mechanisms within the center, the diversity of its publications, its multilingualism, given that it operates in 11 languages.