Words are a trust, and your role is vital in raising awareness of the nation's issues, especially the Palestinian cause, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to the Arab media delegation

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb held an open discussion session with several prominent media figures in the Arab world. The discussion took place on the sidelines of his participation in the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, which was held from May 25 to 27.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Grand Imam emphasized the media's important role in raising awareness of challenges, mobilizing public opinion on the nation's issues, strengthening national belonging, preserving the value and moral system, and enhancing young people’s pride in their own heritage, especially in light of the challenges facing our world today and the rise of hate speech, intolerance, and Islamophobia. He pointed out the importance of working according to an Arab media strategy that defends the nation's issues and protects young people from the dangers of polarization and confusion, as some digital platforms seek to alienate them from the reality of their nation and communities.

His Eminence explained that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif works to promote a culture of peace, which is a fundamental mission taught through Al-Azhar educational curricula from elementary school through university. His Eminence added: “All religions were revealed to bring happiness to humanity, stop bloodshed, and spread peace among all, not to ignite wars or fuel hatred.” His Eminence pointed to Al-Azhar’s initiatives in this context, including the establishment of the “Egyptian Family House,” in cooperation with Egyptian churches, which contributed to strengthening the national fabric and eliminating many manifestations of sectarianism. He stated, “When the Egyptian citizen saw the priest next to the sheikh, many of the seditions and problems disappeared.”

His Eminence pointed out that Al-Azhar has recognized the necessity of achieving true Islamic convergence and understanding through an intra-Islamic dialogue based on openness and dialogue, turning the page on the past, and building on the commonalities that unite the nation's schools of thought, in order to build on them for what serves the unity and progress of this nation. Therefore, Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders held the “Islamic Dialogue Conference” in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which culminated in the signing of the "Call of the People of the Qiblah" document, which is considered a comprehensive document of principles to enhance dialogue and understanding between the various Islamic schools of thought and doctrines.

His Eminence referred to the efforts of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders in promoting world peace, saying, “We have opened up avenues of cooperation with the Vatican, and I signed the Human Fraternity Document with my late friend Pope Francis. We have also opened channels of communication with various churches, including the Eastern Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the Canterbury Cathedral in Britain.”

Commenting on a question about minority rights, His Eminence said, “Al-Azhar rejects the use of the term minorities because it entails the loss of rights and the division of citizens into higher and lower ranks. Al-Azhar emphasized the necessity of establishing “full citizenship” and the resulting equality of rights and duties for all. It organized numerous conferences and issued documents that affirm this concept, calling on media professionals to contribute to promoting these values, emphasizing that states must be based on full citizenship and equal rights for all citizens, without discrimination or classification.”

Regarding the use of religion as a cause for the conflicts and wars we are witnessing, His Eminence said: “We must differentiate between the teachings of religions that call for peace and coexistence, and the false interpretations offered by some for killing in the name of religion, of which religions are innocent. All prophets are brothers, and the religion of Allah is one, from Adam to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them all.” His Eminence added, “Violence cannot be justified in the name of religion under any circumstances. What has happened is an attempt by some to hijack religion and exploit it for politics, which is unacceptable.” His Eminence also emphasized that the Zionist entity’s attempts to conflate Zionism, which is absolute evil, and Judaism, which is a divine religion, have become clear and obvious to everyone.

In response to a question about the calls in some societies to accept “homosexuality” and other societal ills, His Eminence commented, “These calls are evidence of the madness and disorder of this civilization, its transgression of all moral boundaries and religious teachings, and its constant attempts to exclude religion and marginalize its role in people’s lives, even deifying human freedom and the absolute pursuit of satisfying material desires.” He explained that the reference here is to the teachings of religions, not to the capricious human mind, saying, “Religion is what establishes morality, and moral authority should not be attributed to reason alone.”

Regarding the message His Eminence would like to convey to young people, His Eminence called on Arab and Muslim youth to arm themselves with knowledge and education, saying, “Read first before you speak, especially when it comes to Islam, Arabism, and Eastern civilization.”