King of Malaysia to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar : I Cut Short My Visit to Johor to Meet and Welcome You

His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Iskandar, the King of Malaysia, received His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders. During the meeting, both leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing mutual cooperation in promoting the values of dialogue and coexistence.

At the beginning of the meeting, His Majesty the King of Malaysia expressed the Malaysian people's appreciation for the Grand Imam's efforts in spreading the message of tolerance, respect, and acceptance of others. His Majesty noted that he had cut short his tour of Johor to welcome the Grand Imam and also praised the efforts of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders in promoting peace, presenting the true image of Islam, correcting misconceptions, combating extremist ideologies, and enhancing the role of religious leaders in addressing global challenges.

For his part, the Grand Imam expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and affection he experienced during his visit to Malaysia. He commended Malaysia's exemplary Islamic model in respecting diversity and plurality, as well as its supportive stances on the issues of the Muslim Ummah.

The Grand Imam congratulated His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Iskandar on his enthronement as King of Malaysia, praying that Malaysia will enjoy further progress and prosperity during his reign. He expressed his happiness in visiting Malaysia for the first time since assuming the position of Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, noting that he found Malaysia to be a true model of a Muslim country capable of achieving sustainable progress and prosperity. He also highlighted the strong historical ties between Al-Azhar and Malaysia, significantly shaped and developed by Malaysian students studying at Al-Azhar.

His Eminence further affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to increase the number of Al-Azhar envoys sent to Malaysia and to provide more scholarships for Malaysian students to join Al-Azhar University while receiving and training Malaysian imams at the Al-Azhar International Academy for Training Imams and Preachers. He also emphasized opening avenues of cooperation with Malaysia to meet the needs of Malaysian society and address its internal challenges.

The Grand Imam also highlighted Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders' pioneering efforts in promoting the values of dialogue and enhancing the culture of coexistence, fraternity, and positive integration. This was exemplified by the co-signing of the Document on Human Fraternity with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, in 2019, which revitalized the relationship between Al-Azhar and the Catholic Church. He also mentioned the Egyptian Family House project, an initiative launched by Al-Azhar with Egyptian churches, which has yielded positive results in fostering genuine integration and harmony within Egyptian society. He also stressed that Al-Azhar, in collaboration with the Muslim Council of Elders, places great importance on unifying the ranks of the Islamic Ummah and promoting intra-Islamic dialogue, as well as activating the role of religious leaders in addressing contemporary humanitarian challenges such as climate change, poverty, and developmental issues.