Al-Azhar Grand Imam calls for a joint and pressing Islamic stance to cease fire in Gaza and expresses appreciation for Muslim countries’ humanitarian efforts.

Indonesia is ready to receive the wounded from Gaza, treat them, and host them until they return to their country, Indonesian President-elect

Al-Azhar voices the suffering of Islamic nations over the Gaza tragedy, Indonesian President-elect

The newly elected Indonesian President has expressed his support for hosting the Muslim Council of Elders' initiative, ‘Religions for Development and Peace.’

Indonesian Defense Minister and President-elect of Indonesia, General Prabowo Subianto, received His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE), Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, to discuss cooperation between Al-Azhar and Indonesia and ways to increase international mobilization to stop the aggression on Gaza.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Grand Imam congratulated General Subianto on winning the Indonesian presidential elections, praying to Allah Almighty to grant him success in leading his country and supporting the issues of his nation. His Eminence noted that Indonesia represents an Islamic model to be followed in terms of development, progress, advancement, and preservation of religion and values in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society.

The Grand Imam stressed the need to mobilize international efforts to immediately stop the aggression on Gaza, facilitate the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the isolated Strip, and provide all necessary support to stop the bloodshed that has continued for more than eight months without any international, legal, humanitarian or moral deterrent. His Eminence expressed Al-Azhar’s appreciation for the Indonesian position in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, especially since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, and Indonesian help to our brothers there by preparing and dispatching relief convoys in cooperation with Al-Azhar.

His Eminence also stressed the need for a unified political and religious stance towards the inhumane violations taking place in the Gaza Strip. He stressed that political decision-makers should play their role and perform their duties in mobilizing global political public opinion and using political and legal tools to do so. His Eminence added that religious figures as well should play their role in identifying the daily massacres and holocausts to which the Palestinian people are being subjected through their presence at conferences, events and religious summits.

Mr. Subianto, for his part, affirmed his country's support for the Palestinian people and the demand for an immediate end to the aggression on Gaza. He stressed the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, indicating his appreciation for the tireless Egyptian efforts in directing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and shedding light on the tragedy that innocent women, children and the elderly are being subjected to in the isolated strip.

The newly elected Indonesian President stressed that Al-Azhar's voice expresses the pain and feelings of the Islamic peoples over what is happening in Gaza. Therefore, Indonesia has been keen to cooperate with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in sending humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza, indicating his country's readiness to receive the wounded Gazans, especially children and orphans, to treat them in Indonesian hospitals, and host them until they return to their homes. Indonesia is ready to restore the Indonesian medical complex in Gaza as soon as the situation improves and the aggression stops.

The two leaders agreed to launch a global call to demand an end to the aggression on Gaza, and to urge all concerned parties to prioritize the interests of innocent children, women, the elderly and the youth, and to continue to take all legal and international measures in order to find a decisive solution to stop the violations and ensure that they are not repeated in the future and to expedite the two-state solution.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar also pointed out that the Muslim Council of Elders is studying an initiative to launch a global alliance of religious leaders, including religious leaders in Southeast Asia, under the title: “Religions for Development and Peace,” which aims to benefit from the teachings of religions to serve and support sustainable development efforts and achieve their goals, especially in the Southeast Asia region. He added that Indonesia represents a model of development while preserving religious values. The Indonesian President-elect welcomed the initiative, stating, “Indonesia is honored to host the Muslim Council of Elders’ initiative which was proposed by His Eminence, the Chairman of the Council, and we will work to provide the appropriate environment for its success and benefit from it.”

At the end of the meeting, the Grand Imam presented the Indonesian President-elect with Al-Azhar Shield and the Muslim Council of Elders Medal on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Council’s establishment.