His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and his accompanying delegation. Pope Tawadros II greeted the Grand Imam on the approaching ˁEid ul-ˀAḍḥa, expressing his sincere wishes for the Grand Imam’s good health and wellness, and for goodness and peace for all Egyptians. He added that these occasions embody the inherent spirit of love and coexistence among the members of the Egyptian community, Muslims and Christians. His Holiness praised the idea of the Emerging Peace Makers Forum, jointly organized by Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, the Muslim Council of Elders, and Canterbury Cathedral, for a group of Muslim and Christian youth from the East and the West in London. He stressed the importance of bringing the youth together for dialogue and understanding, exchanging ideas and achieving actual coexistence. This represents an important step to achieve coexistence, since the youth can communicate and disseminate moderate thought through modern means of communication and social cohesion. 

For his part, the Grand Imam expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to HH Pope Tawadros and his accompanying delegation, noting that the unity and cohesion of the Egyptians presented a global Egyptian model for social coexistence on the basis of citizenship. He also explained that the Emerging Peace Makers Forum transferred peace efforts and interfaith dialogue from the field of interfaith conferences and meetings to practical application by young people from the East and the West. He added that the forum was a great opportunity to listen to the views and proposals of young people, who have demonstrated a great desire to address the problems faced by the followers of religions around the world for a more peaceful and secure future.