World Muslim and Christian Elders converged on the ancient city of Cairo, Egypt to canvass for promotion of peace, understanding and tolerance among the adherents of the religions.
This was one of the main agenda of the two-day international conference of Al-Azhar’s and the Muslim Council of Elders entitled: Freedom, Cizenship,Diversity and Integration.
The conference was co -organised by other religious institutions from the east and the west, with a view to confronting the phenomenon of Islamophobia, caused by terrorism and acts of violence.
Declaring the conference open, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad El-Tayyeb called upon representatives of different religion to integrate and erase any tension among them in order to disseminate the true values and principles of religions.
He said that such values and principles usher in co-operation and acquaintance as well as discard violence and instil the concept of citizenship.
Tayyeb used the opportunity to disabuse the minds of the parcipants on the negative tags on Islam, saying it was as a result of lack of true understanding of the true teachings of the religion. “It is sad and painful to depict religion as a tool that damages innocent bodies”, the Islamic scholar said.
The Grand Imam, however, highlighted the various role of the religious leaders and thinkers geared towards erasing the negative mindsets against Islam.
He bemoaned the epidemic of Islamophobia and terrorism that has harmed Muslim cizens in western countries and the image of Islam globally.
Tayyeb warned that if religious institutions in the east and the west did not work on confronting islamophobia, the phenomenon might extend to Chrisanity and Judaism in the future.
Speaking in the same vein, His Holiness Pope Tawadros ll, Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of the Holy See, said that extremist ideology and terrorism could be cured through enlightened ideas.
He added that Egypt and the region are still suffering from extremist ideology coming from false understanding of religion. Such misunderstanding, the Pope stressed, have led to terrorism and extremism, which are two of the largest challenges to co-existence.
Pope Tawadros attributed extremism and violence to the existing unilateral culture based on the oneness of opinion.” One of the reasons for extremism and fanatism is ignorance of the other”, he said.
The Pope averred that the solution lies in offering religious values in an enlightened and modern way as well as confronting extremist ideology with enlightened thoughts.
In attendance at the conference witnessed by delegates from 50 countries, were the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Bishop Nicholas Baalbaki, Patriarch of Anoch and All the East for Roman Orthodox of St. Mark, among other top Muslim and Chrisan scholars.
Nigeria Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Sheri), Grant Mufti of Nigeria, were represented at the conference.
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