The Grand Imam, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, received Ms Isabelle Rome, the French Ambassador for Human Rights in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, 7th May 2026. A range of topics were discussed relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms, including ways to strengthen dialogue around the frameworks underpinning human rights in both the East and the West.
The Grand Imam called for a renewed global consensus on human rights, stressing that significant gaps remain between Eastern and Western perspectives. Reflecting on eighty years of his life, the Grand Imam expressed deep concern over the trajectory of modern society, stating that rapid scientific and technological advancement has failed to produce comparable moral progress. He noted a visible decline in the core values of equality.
The Grand Imam firmly rejected the notion that religion is the root cause of global conflict, attributing violence and the violation of rights instead to the deliberate misuse of faith for political gain and the profit of arms dealers. He argued that true civilisation is measured by how well it safeguards human dignity rather than by its technological output. He pointed to successful initiatives like Al-Azhar’s partnership with the Vatican on the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity, as well as the “Egyptian Family House” initiative alongside the Coptic Orthodox Church, as proven models demonstrating that faith exists to foster peaceful coexistence and eliminate sectarian divide. The Egyptian Family House brings together scholars from Al-Azhar and leaders of Egypt’s Christian churches under a joint presidency shared alternately by the Grand Imam and the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
For her part, Ambassador Isabelle Rome praised Al-Azhar’s historic role in promoting global peace and clarified that the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was never intended to overwrite cultural diversity or dictate specific behavioural models to non-Western societies. Acknowledging the validity of criticisms regarding Western overreach, the French Ambassador emphasised that the declaration’s original purpose was to end barbarity following two devastating world wars while fully respecting every community’s right to practice its faith. Commending Egypt’s Family House initiative, Rome stressed the urgent international need to break down cultural stereotypes and foster a genuine, mutual understanding between global communities.
