His Eminence Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Al-Azhar Grand Imam, received today, Monday, at Al-Azhar headquarters, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, accompanied by a high-level delegation from the leaders of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who congratulated His Eminence on the approaching of Eid Al-Fitr, in the presence of an elite group of Al-Azhar scholars and leaders.

 

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II said: “I am pleased to extend to Your Eminence and to our Muslim brothers in Egypt and the world my sincere congratulations on Eid Al-Fitr. We feel happy every time we meet, whether in the headquarters of Al-Azhar or in the Orthodox Church. These meetings renew the bonds of love between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, and I hope for continued love, good relations, progress for our people and our beloved homeland, Egypt.” ‏

 

For his part, His Eminence welcomed His Holiness and the high-level delegation accompanying him, to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, declaring: “Welcome to Al-Azhar; we thank you for your good feelings, and we appreciate this visit, which reflects the deep relationship of friendship and brotherhood that binds Egyptians, Muslims and Christians, together. It confirms the depth of our relations and the cohesion of our national fabric. At the same time, we feel very sad about the approaching of the blessed Eid al-Fitr while our brothers in Gaza are still suffering from the criminal Zionist aggression that has violated all aspects of life in Gaza, killing children, the elderly, women and the youth. It targets the displaced, and demolishes homes, hospitals, and schools. In fact, I cannot find an explanation or justification for what is happening in Gaza, except that it is an abandonment of religion and the system of human values and morals while turning deaf ears to the voice of the human conscience.”

 

The Grand Imam talked about the Egyptian Family House and its role in preserving the Egyptian social fabric. He described it as one of the fruits of cooperation between Al-Azhar and the Egyptian churches, and that it plays a pivotal role in eliminating strife and confronting and eliminating extremist thought. He added that Egypt has reaped the fruits of the efforts of this house and its initiatives, which led to limiting strife and religious fanaticism. His Eminence stressed the necessity of increasing the participation of this national project, enhancing its social role, targeting youth, and activating the role of women.