Salam invites Grand Imam of al-Azhar to visit Lebanon before year's end

BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Thursday in Cairo with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, and invited him to visit Lebanon before the end of the year, according to a statement released by the Grand Serail.

During their meeting, Salam informed the Grand Imam of the latest developments in Lebanon, emphasizing that the country, with its “diverse Muslim-Christian composition, needs the support of the al-Azhar institution to strengthen the spirit of human fraternity and tolerance, as well as to combat discourse of discord and intolerance.”

Al-Azhar is one of the oldest centers of Islamic learning in the world. Founded in 970 CE as a mosque before becoming a university, the institution has played a prominent role in the religious, educational, and political life of the Muslim world for more than a millennium.

Salam invited the Sunni dignitary to come to Lebanon before the end of the year, believing that “his presence in Beirut would send a message of unity to all Lebanese and illustrate the historic role of al-Azhar in promoting a culture of dialogue and coexistence.”

For his part, Tayeb welcomed the invitation and suggested that his next visit to Lebanon coincide with the holding of an “Islamic conference in Beirut, aimed at enshrining the principles of the documents on Human Fraternity and Citizenship, which promote a culture of tolerance, peace and coexistence.”

He also renewed al-Azhar’s commitment to fulfilling its global role to “combat extremism and work towards spreading a culture of moderation.”

As part of his visit, Salam had met Wednesday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who reaffirmed his country’s “full support” for Lebanon as well as its efforts to “restore stability and embark on a path toward economic recovery and reconstruction.”