Egyptian Representative Delivers Grand Imam Of Azhar Statement On Islamophobia To UN

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Egypt's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York delivered a statement to the UN General Assembly during the commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek delivered the statement on behalf of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb.

In the statement, the Grand Imam asserted that the UN meeting represented the culmination of efforts by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to confront Islamophobia. He described it as an illogical phenomenon that poses a genuine threat to global peace.

The Grand Imam voiced his appreciation for the stance of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, commending his remarks about Islam as fair and insightful, reflecting a true understanding of the religion and its tolerant teachings. According to the statement, these teachings stand against Islamophobia and challenge what it described as the tendency to accept pre-conceived judgments and demeaning stereotypes often promoted by far-right groups for narrow political gain.

The Grand Imam's statement said that Islamophobia stems from ignorance of Islam's true nature and tolerance, as well as deliberate attempts to distort its principles of peace and coexistence. It added that these distortions rely on false interpretations and the malicious exploitation of abhorrent military actions perpetrated by groups far removed from Islam. The statement called the use of these actions to justify Islamophobia“the biggest lie in contemporary history.”

The statement emphasised the need for unity to build bridges of understanding and overcome ignorance, arrogance and hatred. The Grand Imam believes interreligious and intercultural dialogue is no longer a luxury, but an essential means of saving humanity from ignorance and misunderstanding.

The Grand Imam's statement highlighted the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by the Grand Imam and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

The statement also stressed the need to combat hate speech, which it said spreads through discourse on social media and in the mainstream media. It called for promoting dialogue, tolerance and coexistence, enacting binding legislation, and launching awareness campaigns to cultivate tolerance and foster mutual respect, enabling cooperation in developing a narrative that can restore understanding, solidarity and brotherhood among peoples.

The Grand Imam's statement also drew attention to the establishment of the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism. According to the statement, the observatory aims to clarify accurate religious concepts for Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide. It also works to counter extremist ideology, terrorist groups and violent movements, and to monitor acts of violence against Muslims.

The Grand Imam's statement urged the development of an international definition of Islamophobia, the creation of databases to document crimes and ethnic and racist practices against Muslims, and the establishment of a mechanism to assess the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at combating Islamophobia. It added that these databases should be comprehensive and regularly updated.

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