His Eminence, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, received, Thursday, August 3rd, at the headquarters of Al-Azhar, the Pakistani Chief of Staff, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan.
At the outset of the meeting, the Grand Imam emphasized the deep relations between Al-Azhar and the Republic of Pakistan, noting the significant role played by Pakistani students at Al-Azhar in strengthening and enhancing these relations. The grand Imam added that Pakistan is a role model for the advancement of a Muslim intellect and its strength. He also referred to Al-Azhar’s eagerness to raise the level of scientific and cultural collaboration with Pakistan, and its willingness to open Arabic Teaching centers there to serve the Pakistani people and help them learn the language of the Quran.
Furthermore, His Eminence announced Al-Azhar’s willingness to increase the number of scholarships for Pakistani Students, which currently stands at 30 scholarships, in a way that can meet the needs of the Pakistani people. Some of these scholarships will be allocated to applied sciences, like medicine, pharmacy and engineering, along with Sharʻī studies. The Grand Imam also expressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to receive new delegations of Pakistani Imams for training at Al-Azhar International Academy for Training Religious Scholars and Imams. The training will further enhance their competencies in refuting contemporary misconceptions and address current intellectual issues.
While discussing the nation’s issues, the Grand Imam referred to the suffering of the people of Gaza and its impact on Muslims, asserting the need for the Muslim Ummah to unite in support of the Palestinian Cause which has become an issue of global importance. He also said that obliterating the Palestinian cause from the education curriculum in most Islamic countries has had a negative impact on younger generations, at a time when the other party is keen to teach its children fabricated stories.
The Grand Imam stressed: “There shall be no stability in the Middle East, or the whole world, without a fair solution to the Palestinian Cause, that grants the Palestinians their full right to establish an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.”
On his part, the Chief of Staff, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, expressed his happiness for meeting the Grand Imam, and the appreciation of Pakistan and its people to Al-Azhar and the Grand Imam. He also expressed his deep gratitude to Al-Azhar for the care and patronage given to the Pakistani students at Al-Azhar. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Miraz presented an official invitation to the Grand Imam to visit Pakistan, stressing that Pakistani people are looking forward to this long-awaited visit.