Al-Azhar Conference on Extremism

December 2014 Al-Azhar Conference on Extremism....

Extremism and terrorism are making our homelands inhospitable, not only for Arab Christians, but also for our neighbors. In response to this crisis, the Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb invited Muslim religious scholars from 120 countries to Cairo at the beginning of this month. This Al-Azhar conference on counter terrorism produced three very important statements.

First, it was stated unequivocally that groups which carry religious flags and commit violent acts in the name of God have polluted the faith. Killing of innocents, atrocities against women, and violation of Holy Places are crimes against humanity, and are absolutely condemned by Islam in word and in context. These groups, by virtue of their heinous deeds, should be considered apostates and outsiders, no longer faithful Muslims.

Secondly, these Muslim scholars and leaders assured the world that Muslims and Christians are brothers and sisters. They have lived together in peace, in various places, throughout the centuries. Diversity has historically been seen as a source of richness and fruitfulness, not a source of fear. For this reason, this conference have even called for equal citizenship with equal rights with equal responsibilities for all citizens in the Arab and Muslim world.

Finally, the Muslim leaders of this conference asked their compatriots, the Arab Christians, to remain rooted in their countries until this wave of extremism passes away. They asked that countries not encourage Christians to emigrate, as this only helps the extremist forces which aim to control our political future, and tear apart our culture and values.

(Al-Azhar Conference, Cairo: December 2014)