Category Archives: International Updates

During her visit to Egypt, Shaykh al-Azhar Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb hosts the German Chancellor at the Al-Azhar HQ in Cairo, Egypt. On Thursday 2 March 2017, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, visited the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral as well as Al-Azhar in Cairo as part of her official two-day visit to Egypt, her first since 2007. At […]

Grand Imam pleased by initiative that ‘seeks to repair and protect endangered cultural heritage’ The international “Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage” conference aimed at protecting cultural heritage during armed conflicts took place in Abu Dhabi on 2nd and 3rd December, under the banner of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The event was […]

On Saturday 24 December 2016, the world lost a towering man of knowledge with expertise in Islamic law and jurisprudence. A life-long devoted seeker of knowledge having lived his entire life within the embrace of Al-Azhar, Dr Ra’fat Usman leaves behind a legacy of knowledge through his literary works that adorn the libraries of Egypt […]

Grand Imam meets with Coptic Pope after attacks on church and mosque. The Al-Azhar Grand Imam condemned the terrorist blast that occurred near Al-Salam Mosque in Giza Governorate on 9th December. An explosion on a main Cairo square killed six policemen and wounded another two in the attack. The terrorists targeted the police in front of […]

The Muslim Council of Elders announces the launch of an international youth forum. The Muslim Council of Elders held its ninth meeting in Abu Dhabi last night under the chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and President of the Council, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar. Also in attendance was the learned scholar and member […]

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, calls on the youth to be ambassadors of peace. The first of its kind inter-faith forum for the youth titled ‘Youth Engagement, Religion and Violence’ was held at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, jointly organised by the influential institution of Al-Azhar and the World Council of […]

Al-Azhar Grand Imam is hosted by the people of Chechnya during three-day official visit The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, travelled to the Republic of Chechnya at the invitation of the President of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, on an official three day visit. The Al-Azhar delegation comprised of the senior scholars and […]

His Eminence, the Grand Imam, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, strongly condemned and denounced the terrorist attack on a church in St-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy, France, which involved the brutal murder of the 86-year-old Catholic Priest, Father Jacques Hamel, and injured several others. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar stressed that those who carried out these brutal […]

During his visit to France, Shaykh al-Azhar holds meeting with President Hollande, visits the Bataclan theatre, addresses a forum of Eastern and Western thinkers, meets with head of Christian Democratic Party and signs MoU between Al-Azhar University and the Catholic University of Paris. Meeting with French President, Francois Hollande The Grand Imam, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb […]

In a historic meeting on Monday 23 May 2016 between the leader of the world’s Catholics and the highest authority in Sunni Islam; the Grand Imam, Dr Ahmed al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, visited Vatican City (Rome, Italy) to promote values of peace, dialogue, tolerance and coexistence among all peoples and countries, in order to protect humanity […]