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MCE: The East Has Sunk in Blood Swamps | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Pope Francis talks with Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb (L), Egyptian Imam of al-Azhar Mosque at the Vatican, May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano Handout via Reuters


Cairo – Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) said yesterday that the east has sunk in blood swamps.

Meanwhile, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mosque, Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb met with French President François Hollande at Elysee Palace on Tuesday, where both parties discussed the situation in France and stressed on the importance of dialogue.

For the first time ever, Sheikh Tayeb met with Pope Francis at the Vatican after which both agreed on the resumption of the Vatican – al-Azhar dialogue after 10 years of suspension.

During the second forum of the eastern and western elders, Head of the MCE said that terrorism is an international crisis that all humanity could pay for. He added that Paris witnessed terrorist acts that everyone in the east or the west denounced.

Last November, ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist act in Paris which Tayeb described as tragic resembling acts happening every day in the east. He asked leaders to take responsibility for these acts and force everyone to stop this blood bath. Tayeb added that the east and the west are no longer strangers to each other like they were during the past century.

The first forum on East-West relations, organized by eastern and western elders was held in Florence last June where the head of MCE called the world to stop the attempts of Judaizing al-Aqsa mosque.

Head of MCE urged Muslims in Europe to seek greater integration in their communities as that doesn’t contradict with their religious identity. He added that European laws that contradict with Islamic Sharia should not cause a barrier. Tayeb also stressed the importance of co-existence and cooperation between religions and cultures.

“I call on all Muslim citizens in Europe that they must know they are native citizens in their communities, and that full citizenship will never contradict the idea of coexistence,” he said.

For his part, Sec Gen of MCE, Ali al-Nuaimi stressed that the dialogue between the east and the west should be based on humanity and ensure better dialogue for the future of the generations.

During the opening ceremony of the second forum of the eastern and western elders, al-Nuaimi said that there have been many initiatives for eastern-western dialogue before, but none was successful. He stressed the council’s determination to establish a dialogue that will be fruitful and accepted by everyone.