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Grand Imam Ahmad el-Tayeb, a Sunni and former president of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, considered the highest authority theological institution in Sunni Islam, made the call on November 4, the final consultation of the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence. “
Sunni and Shia are the two main branches of Islam. They separated in the seventh century and have other traditions of devout practice, and tensions between the communities have led to violent conflicts in several Middle Eastern countries.
El-Tayeb, speaking on the same day as Francis at the Bahrain conference, made a special appeal to his Shiite brothers, as well as other sects of Islam, to unite “with an open heart and outstretched hands” to “put aside our differences and our Islamic unity. “
Islamic law, he noted, “forbids Muslims to give in to calls to the department and fragmentation. “
A summit of Islamic scholars and clerics from around the world “from all sects and schools of thought,” el-Tayeb said, would provide an opportunity to “discuss unity, team spirit and rapprochement, a discussion about Islamic brotherhood, division, discord and, especially, sectarian conflicts. “
Ahmed Barakat, Al-Azhar’s communications director, told NCR that this is the first time el-Tayeb has made such a proposal in a public forum, as he has only done so in previous one-on-one meetings.
Francis and el-Tayeb have been close collaborators in the Islamic-Catholic discussion since 2017. In 2019, they signed a landmark document on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” widely hailed as a breakthrough in the Catholic Church with the Muslim world.
While most of Francis’ interaction with the Muslim world has been with Sunnis, his visit to Bahrain was noted as an opportunity to interact with more Shiites.
However, in Bahrain, which is predominantly Shia but ruled by Sunni Muslims, tensions between the two branches of Islam have been highlighted, with top human rights teams accusing Sunni leaders of widespread discrimination against the country’s Shiites.
In his speech, el-Tayeb suggested Sunni and Shiite leaders “concentrate on common ground and meeting points, with a differentiation. “
“Let’s expel together all hate speech, provocation and excommunication and separate the old conflicts into all their bureaucracy and with all their negative ramifications,” the Grand Imam said.
Following el-Tayeb’s comments, Barakat said in an interview that the grand imam’s invitation is “historic” because it is the first time the devoted leader has used such a forum to propose such a dialogue.
Barakat said that for centuries, the two teams have lived in harmony side by side, lamenting the fact that politics has corrupted those relations.
El-Tayeb, the spokesman noted, is a leader of “open dialogue,” who enjoys much with the Vatican and the Anglican Church.
“But now is the time to open a discussion with other Muslims of thought,” he said. “It’s two lines. “
Following el-Tayeb’s comments, Anthony Cirelli, associate director of the U. S. bishops’ Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. The U. S. Department of Justice told NCR via email that while it is difficult to speculate precisely why such a discussion was proposed, “one might prefer Suppose el-Tayeb applies the perception of fraternitas, which apparently arose from his assembly with the Pope, toward the healing of the Muslim world. “
Cirelli added that at first glance, “such an invitation turns out to be a formidable attempt at what many have idea (and think) impossible. “
On the afternoon of Nov. 4, after the conclusion of the interfaith summit, Francis held an assembly with el-Tayeb, where he praised the imam’s call for discussion among Muslims as “very courageous. “
Following his tête-à-tête, the pope met with the Muslim Council of Elders, an organization chaired by the Grand Imam. Inside the mosque of the Royal Palace of Sakhir, Francis used his remarks to emphasize the importance of human encounters in peacebuilding efforts.
“We want to meet, know and value each other, put truth before concepts and others before opinions, openness to heaven before differences on earth,” he said. beyond antagonisms, overcoming old prejudices and misunderstandings in the call of the One who is the source of peace”.
“We will have to be exemplary models of what we preach, not only in our communities and in our homes – because that is no longer enough – but also in the face of a global that is now unified and globalized,” he told them.
After his meeting with former Muslims, Francis is scheduled for an ecumenical prayer service at the largest Catholic cathedral in the Persian Gulf. On Nov. 5, he is scheduled to celebrate an outdoor Mass for about 20,000 Catholics from across the region.