We appreciate your voting in favor of the resolution recognizing the State of Palestine at the United Nations, the Grand Imam to the Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament.

The Zionists tried to deceive the world and justify the killing of innocents, but their malicious intentions to displace the Palestinians and seize their lands were quickly exposed, the Grand Imam to the Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament.

We are pained by what is happening in Gaza, and I am proud to be the Speaker of the Parliament who announced the recognition of the State of Palestine at the United Nations, Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament to the Grand Imam.

We appreciate your efforts in promoting peace, brotherhood and respect for Islam, and I mention it often within the Slovenian Parliament, Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament to the Grand Imam.

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, received today, Wednesday, Ms. Urška Klakočar Zupančič, Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia, and her accompanying delegation, at the headquarters of Al-Azhar.

During the meeting, His Eminence expressed his appreciation for the honorable position of the Republic of Slovenia in voting in favor of the resolution recognizing the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly. He noted that this position reflects a moral and humanitarian commitment to the Palestinian cause, especially considering the genocide and barbaric aggression the Palestinian people have been subjected to for more than a year and a half.

His Eminence emphasized that the Zionist entity attempted to mislead international public opinion to justify its crimes against innocent civilians. However, its malicious intentions were quickly exposed after its systematic practices of displacing Palestinians and usurping their lands became apparent. This was based on the support of some international powers that provided it with political and diplomatic protection, legitimized its crimes, and turned a blind eye to the massacres committed against civilians around the clock.

His Eminence the Grand Imam pointed out that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has been - and continues to be - a beacon of knowledge, a haven of peace, and a destination for students from various countries around the world. He emphasized that Al-Azhar's global message is to consolidate a culture of peace and brotherhood among human beings. His Eminence spoke about Al-Azhar's efforts in this area, both locally through the establishment of the “Egyptian Family House” in cooperation with Egyptian churches, and internationally through partnerships with religious and cultural institutions around the world, most notably the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and the fruitful cooperation with the Canterbury Cathedral in Britain, which culminated in the signing of the “Human Fraternity Document” with Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, in February 2019.

Ms. Zupančič, for her part, expressed her country's appreciation for the efforts of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in promoting the values of peace and tolerance. She emphasized her deep respect for Islam, her reading of Islamic law and history, and her frequent discussions about this religion within the Slovenian Parliament.

She added: “We are pained by what is happening in Gaza, and we condemn the massacres that have continued for more than a year and a half. I am proud to be the Speaker of the Parliament who announced the recognition of the State of Palestine at the United Nations. We are working with Egypt to end this tragedy, and we have also condemned international positions, particularly those that have received figures against whom arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), in clear violation of international resolutions.”