EULEMA delegation received at al-Azhar University.
The President of the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates, Prof. Abbas Shouman, the Secretary-General of Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars and former Al-Azhar Deputy Head, has received EULEMA delegation with chairman imam Yahya Pallavicini, imam Said Faid from the United Kingdom, Abdassamad El Yazidi from Germany and sister IlhamAllah Ferrero from Italy.
President Abbas Shouman expressed his congratulations for the role and action of EULEMA in Europe providing a reliable and authentic presentation of Islamic identity and civilization in the West, developing a constructive dialogue with the European Institutions and the other religious leaders and communities. He shared the concern of the prestigious Institution of al-Azhar to increase the role of education and knowledge in order to overcome the prejudices and the misunderstanding of Islam in contemporary society. The historical expertise of al-Azhar in the training of a new generation of Muslim managers is a excellent antidote to ignorance as well as a counternarrative to the arrogance of those who pretend to act on behalf of Islam by promoting confusion and bigotry.
Imam Faid from the Central Mosque in London shared the positive experience in his work to update and contextualize the reading and implementation of religious doctrine respecting the rule of law and the customs of every Country. President El Yazidi of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany spoke about the increase of discrimination and Islamofobia and recalled the importance of his meeting with shaykh al-Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyeb in Berlin providing guidelines for a open and serious debate on Muslims in Europe. IlhamAllah Ferrero added her hope for the future of the Muslim youth and women in Italy and the urgent need to find references to the spiritual and universal values avoiding in the media any aggressive polarization against modernity or democracy.
EULEMA Chairman imam Yahya Pallavicini joined President Abbas Shouman in the need to promote the culture of dialogue launched with the Human Fraternity document by Pope Francis and the imam Ahmad al-Tayyeb, respecting internal and external differences as a divine blessing. They both agreed “to respect the specific identity of every faith-based community and doctrine, avoiding any artificial melting pot and engaging in dialogue and cooperation between religious leaders, governments and the civil society is our duty and great responsibility! EULEMA and al-Azhar will develop a beneficial cooperation.”
