Al-Azhar Grand Imam Meets Order of Malta Chief to Boost Cooperation

His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, received today (Saturday) at Al-Azhar headquarters His Highness Prince John Dunlap, Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, accompanied by Mr. Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, the Foreign Minister of the Order of Malta.

During the meeting, the Grand Imam stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among religious and cultural institutions worldwide and to intensify their joint efforts to protect the innocent and the vulnerable, especially amid today’s moral decline and the growing dominance of the language of power, destruction, and chaos that sweeps across the world, a situation in which the price is paid by innocent children, women, the elderly, youth, and refugees who have been forced to leave their land and homes.

The Grand Imam emphasized that the suffering of the people of Gaza stands as clear evidence of the arrogance of power and the disregard for human dignity witnessed openly by the entire world.

 He asserted that force and weaponry can no longer conceal the true face of the occupier, whose reality has now been exposed, along with the falsity of its claims, before the same global audience that once stood behind it for years. Today, that audience has shifted to stand with the oppressed in Gaza, as young people and university students across major European capitals have taken to the streets to express their solidarity and compassion with the people of Gaza.

For his part, the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta expressed his pleasure at meeting the Grand Imam and visiting this ancient and historic institution - Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif - which has stood for over a thousand years.

 He conveyed his deep appreciation for His Eminence’s significant efforts in upholding the values of justice and global peace, affirming that the Order of Malta shares these noble values promoted by Al-Azhar.

He noted that the Order maintains diplomatic relations with 115 countries and operates in 50 countries worldwide, providing humanitarian, relief, and healthcare services, and working in cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations. He expressed his commitment to strengthening ties with Al-Azhar and enhancing cooperation in areas such as assisting the poor and the sick, and promoting the values of peace, dialogue, and human fraternity.