Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received the delegation of the American Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), headed by Ms. Nadine Besler Maenza, during their visit to Cairo. The Grand Imam said Al-Azhar is keen to communicate and cooperate with religious institutions inside and outside Egypt and to exchange visions and ideas with different civilizations and cultures in order to achieve security and peace for all humankind. His Eminence indicated that Al-Azhar sought to consolidate the values of coexistence and acceptance of the other by adopting a real dialogue based on the establishment of the principle of citizenship and the elimination of the term ‘religious minority’. 

 

The Grand Imam added that Al-Azhar worked at strengthening communication with the Egyptian churches through the establishment of the Egyptian Family House, which brings together in its membership all the Egyptian churches besides Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif. Al-Azhar also worked on consolidating its relations with major international religious institutions such as the Vatican, the Church of Canterbury and the World Council of Churches, the case which confirms Al-Azhar's keenness to build up bridges of communication and dialogue.

The delegation, of the American Commission on Religious Freedom, for their part, expressed their great appreciation for Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s vision of peace, communication and coexistence among different religions and civilizations. They stressed that His Eminence's last speech at the inauguration of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ was great, and it played a great role in clarifying the position of Islam regarding building places of worship for the followers of the revealed religions, correcting the misperception of Islam in the West.