The Grand Imam and Azerbaijani President Agree to Continue International Pressure and Mobilize Efforts to Stop Aggression on Gaza and Lebanon

The Grand Imam congratulates Azerbaijani President on outstanding organization of COP29 and World Religious Leaders Summit for Climate

The participation of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in the COP29 is an honor for Azerbaijan and reflects our keenness to coordinate between religious leaders and political decision-makers to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change, the Azerbaijani President

The Bahrain Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference is an important step towards uniting the nation and we are keen to participate in it

The Grand Imam and Azerbaijani President stress need for international mobilization to stop aggression on Gaza and Lebanon

Al-Azhar Grand Imam (GI) and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE), Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, met with President Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, at the beginning of his visit to the capital, Baku, to participate in the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar expressed his appreciation to Azerbaijan and the presidency of the COP for this distinguished organization of the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) and the World Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate. He called on Allah Almighty to crown the efforts of the leaders and scholars participating in this conference, and to let this conference and to yield the desired results in confronting the most dangerous threat to humanity, the climate change crisis.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar pointed out that the coincidence of his visit to Azerbaijan with the announcement of Shusha as the Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2024 revives the necessity of working to restore the Islamic world to its position in the new world order. The Muslim nation with its ancient Islamic heritage can achieve a comprehensive Islamic renaissance in various fields. He added that the first steps of achieving this is to work to reunite the nation, stressing that this is the only way to its advancement and progress in accordance with the Almighty’s saying: “And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided” (Qur'an, 3:103) and “do not dispute with one another, or you would be discouraged and weakened” (Qur'an, 8:460). His Eminence pointed out that Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) are making great efforts to achieve the desired Islamic unity by holding a conference in the Kingdom of Bahrain to enhance dialogue between the various schools of Islamic thought, especially Sunnis and Shiites so that they may have a unified Islamic voice capable of expressing the position of Islamic scholars towards the various contemporary challenges facing the nation.

His Eminence the Grand Imam also stressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to raise the level of cooperation with Azerbaijan to achieve common goals, as well as to enhance aspects of cooperation between the Muslim Council of Elders and the Religious Council of the Caucasus, in a way that serves the Muslims of Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani President expressed his gratitude for the Grand Imam's acceptance of his invitation to participate in COP29, and his appreciation for his efforts in spreading the values of world peace, brotherhood and tolerance, and that he still remembers the dear visit he made to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif during the current year. He stressed that the Grand Imam's visit to Azerbaijan contributes to strengthening relations between the two sides, especially in the field of interfaith dialogue, and his appreciation for the efforts made by Al-Azhar and the MCE in achieving Islamic unity. He stressed that Azerbaijan spares no effort to raise the level of coordination and rapprochement between Islamic countries. He stressed that the Islamic world will not be able to rise and progress except through full integration and coordination between its various components, and that the Bahrain Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference represents an important step in strengthening the unity and rapprochement of the Muslim nation, and that Azerbaijan is keen to participate strongly in this important Islamic event.

The Azerbaijani President pointed out that the participation of the Grand Imam in COP29 for the first time is an honor for Azerbaijan. His Eminences participation reflects Azerbaijan's serious keenness to coordinate cooperation between religious leaders and political decision-makers to raise awareness of the seriousness of the climate change crisis, and to mobilize all efforts to find realistic solutions to the most dangerous threats to the survival of humanity and the sustainability of the planet's natural resources. President Aliyev praised the "Faith Pavilion" initiative organized by the MCE for the second time at COP29, and his confidence that this important pavilion will contribute to enhancing and spreading religious awareness towards environmental and climate crises.

The Azerbaijani President and the Grand Imam agreed on the importance of mobilizing international efforts to continue pressure to stop the aggression on Gaza and Lebanon and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the isolated Strip. They expressed their complete rejection of the encroachment on the property of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), obstructing its work, and preventing it from providing its services to innocent Palestinians. This led to the aggravation of the humanitarian situation in the refugee camps, the death of more than 40,000 martyrs, most of whom were women and children, and the displacement of nearly two million people from their homes.