The Grand Imam calls for the establishment of a committee of wise men from the African continent and prominent religious leaders to alleviate the severity of crises and conflicts in the African Sahel and Horn of Africa regions.

Former President of Niger: I am pleased to meet the Grand Imam and look forward to cooperating with His Eminence and the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) to spread the values of human fraternity in Africa.

Former Nigerien President praises the Grand Imam’s efforts in promoting a culture of dialogue and peace.

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb affirmed that the world is currently going through a period of turmoil and loss of standards and has become more violent and further removed from the human values that represent the essence of religions. He noted that Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) are continuing to carry out their mission to spread a culture of peace and coexistence among peoples, despite the increasing conflicts facing the world.

During his meeting with Mahamadou Issoufou, former President of Niger and MCE member, at Al-Azhar headquarters on Saturday morning, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar indicated that hope for achieving peace and human coexistence remains alive amidst the chaos and tyranny of material civilization that the world is suffering from. He added that there is a faint light at the end of a dark tunnel that appears from time to time to inspire hope for stopping wars and conflicts, especially after the recognition of the State of Palestine by a number of countries, and the agreement reached in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh to stop the aggression against innocent people in Gaza.

Regarding the African continent, His Eminence proposed the establishment of a committee of African wise elders and religious leaders known for their wisdom, integrity, and preference for dialogue, whose mission would be to work on alleviating crises and conflicts in the African Sahel and Horn of Africa regions. He explained that Al-Azhar and the MCE are ready to support the work of this committee and adopt its activities in a way that serves the future of the continent, pushes it towards enhancing the benefit from its resources, and consolidates the culture of unity and common solidarity.

The former President of Niger, for his part, expressed his happiness at meeting the Grand Imam, and his appreciation for His Eminence’s efforts in spreading the values of peace and brotherhood globally, and introducing the correct image of Islam. He praised the efforts made by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the MCE to promote a culture of dialogue and peace, stressing that this role is becoming increasingly important in light of the wars and crises the world is witnessing, especially in Gaza, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. He noted also that the world is experiencing a real crisis of values today.

Issoufou welcomed the proposal of the Grand Imam to establish a committee of African wise elders to defuse the conflicts and strife that some are trying to ignite between neighboring African countries. He stressed that peace is the basic pillar of stability and development, and that eliminating poverty and disease in Africa will not be achieved except by consolidating peace. Issoufou called on the Grand Imam to increase his visits to African countries to deliver a message of peace to their people, and to support countries suffering from instability.