Mahmoud Farazandeh, the ambassador of Iran to Germany, met and held talks with Ahmad al-Tayeb, Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar of Egypt, at his residence in Berlin.
Today’s differences and divisions between Muslims go back to non-Islamic conflicts that the Holy Quran warned against, Ahmad al-Tayeb emphasized, stressing that these conflicts lead to the loss of Islamic unity, division among Muslims, and lack of a unified Islamic approach.
Despite the differences, Muslims still can refer to their unified Islamic goals, he said.
He said that the most dangerous challenge of the Islamic world in the present era is convincing politicians and decision-makers that Islamic expediency and interests are more important than anything, emphasizing that all Muslims must agree on that.
He added that Islamic scholars have widely spoken about the importance of Islamic unity, but political powers constantly push things against the language of logic and reason.
Al-Azhar noted that getting out of this crisis requires that the decision-makers of the world put a binding moral and human framework on the agenda and prefer human interests over intrinsic interests.
Iran’s ambassador also expressed his satisfaction with his meeting with Al-Azhar, praising his efforts to unite the Muslim world.
Iran is aware of Al-Azhar’s power to unite Muslims and guide them to the right path against those who try to show a wrong image of Islam, he said.
Farazandeh also said that Iran welcomes Sheikh Al-Azhar’s invitation to hold an Islamic dialogue during the IISS Manama Dialogue in November 2023.
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