“If my inspiration to write the encyclical letter ‘Laudato si', mi' Signore’ (Praise be to you, my Lord) was my brother Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who strongly advocated the patronage of creation, the one who especially encouraged me to write this letter ‘Fratelli tutti (All Brothers)’ was the Grand Imam Ahmad At-Tayyeb whom I met in Abu Dhabi ".
“Al-Azhar is an ancient institution … We thank you for your firm will to promote the true Islam. The peace meeting between Al-Azhar and the Vatican (June 2016) came at a very important time to underscore the significance of promoting interfaith dialogue and coexistence. I would like to express my personal appreciation to His Eminence the Grand Imam for his taking this major step for a better life for all mankind”.
“The French people and I would like to express great gratitude for the visit paid by the Grand Imam to the Bataclan Theater in Paris. This great humanitarian stance reflects boldness and determination to confront extremism and terrorism”.
“The visit of the Grand Imam to Nigeria represents a personal support to me to establish social justice among the Nigerian citizens, and the advice he offers me - being the Grand Imam of all Muslims - contributes to achieving the aspirations of the Nigerian people”.
“I would like to express my deepest thanks to His Eminence the Grand Imam, who is very popular, appreciated and respected in Indonesia, for his constant support to the Indonesian students at Al-Azhar”.
“The Grand Imam’s stances contribute to accentuating the role of Al-Azhar in this critical period in the Arab and Muslim world. His Eminence has endured the consequences of such responsibility in this critical period in which Al-Azhar stands in the face of the extremist excommunication (Takfiri) currents that are trying to distort the image of Islam”.
“We commend the strong stances of the Grand Imam in accentuating the role of Al-Azhar in this difficult period in the Arab and Muslim world, and the blessed efforts contributed by Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif in illustrating the moderation and tolerance of Islam, and its respect for religious and sectarian pluralism”.
“I express my appreciation of and pride in the efforts of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmad At-Tayyeb to heal the rift and reunite the Muslims”.
“The external efforts of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, greatly contribute to clarifying the true image of Islam. We are proud of the great role played by Al-Azhar and its officials in promoting the moderate approach in the arena of Islamic thought calling for moderation. Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif will always remain a beacon of moderation and tolerance.
The tours of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, east and west, were a major cause behind redressing numerous misconceptions about Islam”.
“Thanks and appreciation are due to His Eminence the Grand Imam for the considerable support provided by Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which contributed to solving the problems of thousands of the needy, the sick and the homeless, providing them with adequate housing and thousands of jobs, as well as solving many of their social and material problems. This is done in cooperation with the Egyptian House of Zakat and Charity and religious and Da’wah bodies in Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif”.
“Thank God for giving Egypt leaders who work hard for the stability and love of the homeland, as well as cohesion, and renunciation of division, on top of whom is the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar”.
“Honoring the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Kuwait, through Kuwaiti sponsorship and by Kuwaiti officials, is a great honor for Kuwait, which takes pride in honoring an Islamic figure like the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who fosters Islamic moderation. He is highly respected in the Muslim world, officially and popularly, for his knowledge and understanding of reality, his keenness to maintain the interests of the Muslims, and his efforts to sustain the values of peace all over the world”.
“I commend the efforts led by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif in promoting the values of tolerance and brotherhood, confronting extremist ideas, and disseminating moderation and proper conception of religious rulings”.
“Your role is important in promoting the values of world peace and calling for coexistence and dialogue among all people of different religions and cultures. You are like a father to all Egyptians, and you always welcome meeting youth, listening to their inquiries and questions, and responding to them with alacrity”.
“The external tours of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar greatly contribute to clarifying the true image of Islam; and we are proud of the great role played by Al-Azhar and its officials in sponsoring the moderate approach in the arena of Islamic thought calling for moderation. Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif will always remain a beacon of moderation and tolerance”.
“Your great religious and moral influence doubles the significance of the efforts undertaken by the Al-Azhar Observatory in combating extremist ideology.”
“Thanks to Grand Imam At-Tayyeb for his companionship on the path of meditation and for the release of the Document on Human Fraternity which was not an easy matter.”
“I was especially encouraged by the Grand Imam (Ahmad At-Tayyeb) whom I met in Abu Dhabi, and who reminded us all that God created all humans equal in dignity, rights and duties, and called them to coexist as brothers”.
“I appreciate the role of Dr. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, in sustaining the values of tolerance and dialogue, and I assure that the Muslim Council of Elders, as headed by the Grand Imam, is one of the key global peacemaking institutions”.
“The efforts of the good Imam in defending Islam in general,and the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) in particular, against distortion of radicals, the falsification of equivocators and the misinterpretation of the ignorant, are recorded with pride in great history”.
“Allah has granted Al-Azhar a renewing Grand Imam, a leader with a reformist vision, who recognized the nation’s need for breaking the fetters that sealed the door to rulings based on flexible and free thinking (Ijtihad) for a span during which the nation declined, and most of its scholars and intellectuals refrained from shouldering the responsibility of renewal despite unanimous agreement to its necessity. Hence, Allah endowed the nation with the Grand Imam to carry the banner of renewal and lead its march towards reform, guarding the Sharia and preserving fixities, fundamental precepts and values”.
“One of Allah’s greatest favors to me is that I worked with the Grand Imam, as he is a judicious and devout man preoccupied with the people and sincere in his mission to humanity”.
“Grand Imam At-Tayyeb has restored to Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif its leadership and global stature; he is making great efforts at the global level to achieve world peace”.
“Grand Imam At-Tayyeb represents a major symbol of dialogue and peace in the world, and his picture with the Pope of the Vatican brought down many barriers and walls”.
“Grand Imam At-Tayyeb is a great religious leader who always calls for tolerance and peace, and who relieves a lot of pressure that exists on the world stage. His visit to Portugal represents a message of peace and openness towards the other”.
“I am very happy to have you with us in Portugal, and I hope that you feel you are in your home country and among your friends. In fact, the wise and fair people in the world rely a lot on the voice of wisdom and moderation represented by Al-Azhar, through its open and moderate approach. They appreciate the effort exerted by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Professor At-Tayyed, to consolidate the principles of dialogue, acceptance of the other and confronting extremist ideas and hate calls”.
“Your visit to Portugal has represented a major event for the Portuguese community. So, allow us to honor your noble person in Portugal, as we cherish your efforts for peace”.
“Meeting the Grand Imam, about a year and a half ago, constituted a rich opportunity that allowed me to get closely acquainted with his moderate thought, and his deep interest in sustaining the values of citizenship, coexistence, and dialogue. These are the values that we need to inculcate in the minds of young people, in order to immunize them from falling preys into the clutches of extremist groups”.
“It is a great honor to meet His Eminence the Grand Imam, as he is the head of the largest Islamic institution in the world, and to express to him my admiration of his efforts that consolidate peace and dialogue, not only between Islam and Christianity, but also between all religions. On behalf of the United Nations, I thank His Eminence the Grand Imam for his work towards promoting world peace. I hope that the world listens to the voice of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar through the United Nations”.
“Your visit to France had a great impact on the French people, and it presented a true image of the tolerance of Islam. Your speeches to the peoples of Europe consolidate peace, the culture of dialogue and the values of tolerance and acceptance of the other, as well as a call for the positive integration of Muslims into their European societies. Similarly, your visit to the Bataclan Theater in Paris represented a wonderful humanitarian stance that gave a significant counter-extremist message”.
“The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I have always wished that the universities and institutions concerned in the Muslim world would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, because he is a global ideal for dialogue and tolerance. Together with His Holiness the Pope of the Vatican, he chaired the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity”.
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Francois Hollande,
Francois Hollande,
Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria,
Indonesian President Joko Widodo,
French Defense Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian,
Justin Welby
Antonio Guterres,
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
Sheikh Ahmed Ould Al-Murabit Al-Shanqeeti,
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,
Dr. Moustafa ElFeki,
Dr. Ghada Waly,
Bishop Jeremiah (Ermia),
Mubarak Bani Al-Khrainj,
King Abdullah II bin Hussein,
Ambassador Nabila Makram,
King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,
Gérard Larcher,
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Pope Francis I
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Counselor Mohamed Abdul Salam
Counselor Mohamed Abdul Salam
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash
Counselor Adly Mansour,
Italian President Sergio Mattarella,
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev,
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Portuguese President, Marcelo de Sousa
Portuguese President, Marcelo de Sousa,
Portuguese President, Marcelo de Sousa
Portuguese President, Marcelo de Sousa,
Indonesian President Joko Widodo
Peter Thomson,
Gérard Larcher,
Ahmed Al-Maslamani