Today, Monday (November 8, 2021), HE the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb gave the keynote speech at the Egyptian Family House (EFH) 10th anniversary celebration, welcoming the conference guests to Al-Azhar and the Egyptian churches. He confirmed that the EFH was the fruit of a deep and deliberate understanding between Al-Azhar and the Church to protect Egypt and the Egyptians from the ordeals besetting the country, and destroying neighboring countries and societies, and afflicting even deeply-rooted civilizations. These ordeals have claimed the lives of millions, leaving behind thousands of widows, orphans, and homeless and displaced persons. The Grand Imam added that Al-Azhar and the Egyptian churches founded the family home out of their sense of the religious institutions’ duty to participate in the state’s national, security and political efforts to thwart this damned scheme and protect the homeland and the citizens from its repercussions that are nurtured by external forces in coordination with internal forces. It has become clear that there are several plans aiming at the collapse of Egypt into the same pit that has engulfed major and minor Arab countries, in armed civil conflicts. The very bad news of such conflicts continues to feature local and international headlines.

In his speech, the Grand Imam dispelled the doubts that arose to cause confusion between Islamic-Christian fraternity, aimed at defending the right of the Egyptian citizen to live in security, peace, and stability on the one hand, and the merging of the two religions, where their differences dissolve, especially within the trends claiming a one religion, called Abrahamic religion. These calls seem to aspire to merge Judaism, Christianity and Islam in one message or religion through which people are united. The claimed purpose of such unity is to avoid the scourge of disputes and conflicts that lead to bloodshed and armed conflicts between people, even between the followers of the same religion and the believers in the same faith.

Such claim, the Grand Imam noted, is similar to globalization, the end of history, global ethics, and other claims. Although it seemingly preaches human unity and elimination of the roots of conflicts and struggles, it is essentially a call for confiscation of the most precious asset for humankind, which is freedom of belief and freedom of choice, which are ensured in religions and underscored in its canonical texts. In other words, this call involves much more pipe dreams than proper recognition of facts.

HE the Grand Imam added, “Out of belief in our heavenly messages, we believe that people’s alleged agreement to follow one religion or one divine message is innately impossible, since Allah has created them apparently different in their colors, beliefs, mentalities and languages, and even in their finger and eye prints. This is an established scientific fact and, primarily, a Qur’anic fact, as the Qur’an stipulates that Allah has created people to be different and that, had He so willed, He would have created them all in one color, one language, or one mind, or as followers of one and the same faith.

Here is the full text of the Imam’s speech,

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

May Allah’s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be on our Master, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, and his fellow prophets and messengers!

Your Excellency Judge Adly Mansour, Former President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Your Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark,

Counselor Omar Marawan, Minister of Justice, on behalf of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister,

Rev. Dr. Andre Zaki, Head of the Evangelical Community in Egypt,

His Beatitude Bishop Ibrahim Ishaq, Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church,

Rt. Rev. Bishop Sami Shehata, Archbishop of the Diocese of Egypt,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ministers, Ambassadors and Governors,

Respected attendees!

May Allah’s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be with you!

Welcome to Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, to your longstanding Egyptian churches, and to the Egyptian Family House (EFH), the noble house, whose10th anniversary is being celebrated today. The EFH was the fruit of a deep and elaborate understanding between Al-Azhar and the Church to protect Egypt and the Egyptians from the ordeals besetting the country and destroying neighboring countries and societies, and afflicting even deeply-rooted civilizations. These ordeals have claimed the lives of millions, leaving behind thousands of widows, orphans, homeless and displaced persons.

Respected attendees!

The EFH founding idea was born in 2011 during the ceremony of offering condolences on the victims of the Two Saints Church attack. Then, the idea was discussed by HH Pope Shenouda III and the delegation of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, accompanied by the late Prof. Mahmoud Zaqzouq, who took over the EFH secretariat until he passed away, and our colleague, the late Prof. Mahmoud Azab, who assumed the position of EFH General Coordinator (may Allah shower them with mercy and blessing). Hence, the founding idea came out of the very distressing and saddening challenges that compelled everybody to bear their due responsibilities towards their homeland and citizens. The most pressing and most serious challenge was the loss of social stability, peace, and security, as well as the growth of terrorist crimes and their bloody surprises. We were fully aware that if striking the chord of sectarian division is left unchecked, it would plunge the country into a sectarian war that would devastate the country for good.

At that time, Al-Azhar and the Egyptian churches sensed the duty of religious institutions to participate in the state’s national, security and political efforts to thwart this damned scheme and protect the homeland and the citizens from its repercussions that are nurtured and sponsored by external forces in coordination with internal forces. It has become clear that there are several plans aiming at the collapse of Egypt into the same pit that has engulfed major and minor Arab countries, in armed civil conflicts. The very bad news of such conflicts continues to feature local and international headlines.

In this turbulent atmosphere, and in the midst of its internal and external turmoil, on the wake of the attacks on Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, in late December 2010, and the Two Saints Church, on January 1, 2011, religious and national necessity dictated the establishment of an independent national body in the name of the Egyptian Family House. A few months later, the Prime Minister issued a decree regarding the establishment of a joint body under the name of the Egyptian Family House, to be headed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, with its Al-Azhar Sheikhdom in Cairo as its headquarters.

Ladies and gentlemen!

There is a lot to say about the EFH and the national role it has silently and sincerely played through its offshoot councils and committees, not to mention its prominent activities over the past ten years, and through its sixteen branches in fifteen governorates. Yet, I believe this should be the purview of other themes and sessions of the conference. Still, honesty dictates that I summarize some points that, I believe, require clarification. To dispel the doubts arising to cause confusion between Islamic-Christian fraternity, aimed at defending the right of the Egyptian citizen to live in security, peace, and stability, on the one hand, and the merging of the two religions, where their differences dissolve, especially within the trends claiming a one religion, called Abrahamism or the religion of Abraham. Such a trend affiliates with the Father of Prophets, Abraham (pbuh), the source for all heavenly messages and laws. Seemingly, these calls aspire to merge Judaism, Christianity and Islam in one message or one religion through which people are united with the purpose of avoiding the scourge of disputes and conflicts that have been leading to bloodshed and armed conflicts between people, even at times between the followers of one and the same religion and believers in the same faith. Such a claim is similar to theories of globalization, the end of history, global ethics, etc. Although it seemingly preaches human unity and elimination of the roots of conflicts and struggles, it is essentially a call for confiscation of the most precious asset for humankind, i.e. freedom of belief and freedom of choice, which are ensured in religions and underscored in their canonical texts. In other words, this call involves much more wishful thinking than proper recognition of essential facts. And though we have not yet witnessed the characteristics or features of this nascent Abrahamic religion, out of our belief in our heavenly messages, we believe that people’s alleged agreement to follow one religion or one divine message is innately impossible, since Allah has created them apparently different in their colors, beliefs, mentalities and languages, and even in their finger and eye prints. This is an established scientific fact and, primarily, a Qur’anic fact, as the Qur’an stipulates that Allah has created people to be different and that, had He so willed, He would have created them all in one color, one language, or one mind, or as followers of the same faith. This difference shall persist until the Judgment Day, as Almighty Allah says, “Had your Lord so willed, He would have certainly made humanity all one single community, but they will always differ.” (Qur’an, 11: 118) Almighty Allah has also indicated that He created both believers and non-believers: “He is the One Who has created you, yet some of you are disbelievers while some are believers. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.” (Qur’an, 64: 2) 

Accordingly, Al-Azhar’s openness to Egyptian churches and clergy, especially the Orthodox Church, and these churches’ openness to Al-Azhar is not, as alleged by some, an attempt to dissolve the differences in creeds, doctrines or religions. It is hard for some to distinguish respect for the creed of the other from belief in it. They can hardly distinguish the manifest difference between respect for the creed of the other and acknowledgement of it. In this sense, we rightly perceive the Almighty’s saying, “There is no compulsion in religion.” (Qur’an, 2: 256) and "To each of you We prescribed a law and a method." (Qur’an, 5: 48), to cite but a few examples. Indeed, Al-Azhar’s openness to other religious institutions inside and outside Egypt is meant to quest for common grounds in heavenly religions and cling to them with the purpose of delivering humanity from its contemporary crisis and freeing it from the besetting injustices of the potent and the arrogance and transgression of the despots. History seems to be repeating itself. Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Church underwent similar circumstances, when the two institutions – through their scholars and clergy – encountered and thwarted the colonial machinations in the past century. Today’s machinations are exactly the same as past machinations, with both targeting the nexus between the two religious elements of the nation and claiming that the Copts support the colonizer. Yet, neither Al-Azhar nor its scholars ever bought that trick, as Azharite scholars always hastened to support Coptic churches. Hence, leading Azharite scholars, like Mustafa Al-Qayati, Mahmoud Abu Al-ˁUyoun, ˁAbd Rabbu Miftah, Muhammad ˁAbdul Latif Daraz, and ˁAli Surour Az-Zankalouni took the lead. Besides, Archbishop Sergius was summoned by Sheikh Al-Qayati to take the pulpit of Al-Azhar and give a keynote speech, alongside Muslim scholars. Moreover, Al-Azhar scholars held the funerals of Christians and Muslims without distinction. Moreover, Sheikh Ibrahim Sulayman composed nationalist lyrics promoting fraternal unities. Among his famous lines were, “The sheikh and the priest are two priests / Or else, you could say, two sheikhs.”

Respectable attendees!

When Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif approaches the churches today and teams up with them for the sake of the homeland and the citizens, and for everyone’s right to secure coexistence and equality in citizenship, and in rights and duties, it draws on its pure Islamic legacy of sciences and culture. This legacy builds on the principle stating that “they (non-Muslims) have the same rights and duties like us (Muslims).” It also builds on Islamic fraternity, in terms of the Sharia, the Qur’an and the Prophet (pbuh), towards its preceding laws, Scriptures and Prophets. Likewise, it draws on the brotherhood of prophets Muhammad and Jesus (peace be upon them), given that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “"I am closer to Jesus son of Mary than the whole of humankind both in this worldly life and the life to come;” and “I am the (result of the) supplication made by my Father Abraham and the glad tidings by my brother Jesus. When my mother conceived me, she had a dream in which she saw a light emanating from her and radiating the palaces of the Levant.” We also learned from the Qur’an to praise Jesus and his mother (peace be upon them) and even to praise his followers, as Almighty Allah says, “Then in the footsteps of these (Prophets), We sent Our Messengers, and (after them) We sent Jesus, son of Mary, and granted him the Gospel, and instilled compassion and mercy into the hearts of his followers.” (Qur’an, 57: 27)

So, Allah forbid that the openness of Al-Azhar, the guardian of Islam, its creed, Sharia and tradition towards other heavenly religions be a form of assimilation (into other religions) or negligence, or any similar obsession or delusion inspired by misunderstanding of Islam and of its essence, philosophy and organic relationship with its preceding divine messages, especially the bond of affection linking Muslims and Christians since the advent of Islam and until the Judgment Day.

Respectable attendees!

Your showing up today at the EFH is a considerable moral support that steels our determination to pursue our efforts in countering the constantly expanding challenges and problems. Thanks to Allah, and by dent of your constant encouragement, I am sure that the EFH will be able to seriously participate in solving the citizens’ problems and improving the level of services provided to them, especially in villages, hamlets and homesteads. This will be carried out through the EFH branches in several governorates and through the “Decent Life” initiative, launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi last January. We hope that the EFH will have its share in materializing and bringing the success of this initiative, Allah willing.

Thanks to you, our dear guests and, once again, you’re welcome!