Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Common Citizenship

[ 76 ] — INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR PEACE — n the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, the faithful Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions and those who followed his guid- ance to the Day of Judgment. Ladies and Gentlemen attending this prestigious intellec- tual forum of followers of all religions and cultures, I salute you with the greetings of Islam. May God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. At the outset, it is my pleasure to convey to you all the greetings of the greatness of the Grand Imam Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and to wish you success and fulfilment in order to achieve what you seek from this distinguished confer- ence. We wish for practical and applicable recommendations that support peaceful coexistence and shared citizenship to reduce fighting and end the conflicts, wars, destruction and devastation evident in many countries of the world, espe- cially in the Arab region, which has been transformed by actors who are no longer unknown to the theatre of major and international conflicts, and represent a considerable market for all types of weapon. We, the followers of the Abrahamic faiths, all agree on the importance of peace among human beings, and we condemn all forms of aggression against human beings regardless of their religion or country. There is no greater crime than killing the human soul which is the structure of the Lord and his making. Allah says: “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption done in the land, it is as if he has slain all of humankind. And whoever saves one, it is as if he has saved all of humankind.” Our Lord has sent his Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, for the sublime task that is reflected in the verse: “AndWe have not sent you, OMuhammad, except as a mercy to the worlds.” This task of inviting and guiding people through persuasion, kindness and tenderness, is expressed by the Almighty: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of those who have strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of those who are rightly guided.” “So, by mercy from Allah, [OMuhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have left you.” We Muslims, believe that religious pluralism and sec- tarian differences are a divine will, about which our Lord Almighty says: “And if your Lord had willed, He could have made humankind one community; but they would still differ. Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them.”Therefore, religious difference should not be a cause of hostility or conflict between followers of reli- gions. Religious pluralism among followers of one religion is a door through which to facilitate humanity, not to cause discord and hostility or to enter into conflict and strife in an attempt to impose certain doctrines. In this sense, Al-Azhar fully believes in the right of all human beings to live in peace and security, regardless of their religion and ethnicity. He is convinced of the possibil- ity of working together under different faiths and a diversity of cultures, based on common human values that do not differ between followers of religions and cultures. In 2011, he established the Egyptian Family House, which combines the Egyptian churches and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif into a single national entity, with its presidency alternating between Sheikh Al-Azhar and the Pope of the Orthodox Church. In view of the great success achieved by this initiative, we have established a number of branches in many governorates of the Republic, and we are now considering the establishment of other branches in several countries that would like to benefit from the experience of the Egyptian Family House. There have been several important activities outside of the Egyptian border, the most prominent of which was the dispatch of a delegation to the Central African Republic, at the request of its former president, to bring about a historic reconciliation between the parties there. HE Dr. Abbas Shuman I Oppression, injustice and the imposition of the guardianship of nations and peoples does not generate peace and stability