Meeting with the Grand Imām of Al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyib, about Upcoming Conference on Religion and the Environment
On Tuesday, May 9th, I was privileged to join Archbishop Samy Fawzy and Archbishop Emeritus Mouneer Anis of the Anglican/Episcopal Church in Egypt for a meeting with the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmed al-Ṭayyib. The Grand Imām greeted us warmly as we discussed the activities of the Centre for Christian-Muslim Understanding and Partnership where I also serve as academic director. In particular, we focused on the upcoming conference on religious leadership and the environment that will be held at the All Saints Cathedral complex on May 29th and 30th. This interfaith conference builds on the legacy of the 2022 U.N. Climate Conference (COP27) which was held last November in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, and will feature scientific, theological, and practical perspectives on the environmental crisis. Along with the Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding and Partnership, the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion (Cambridge, U.K.), and other organizations, Dialogue Across Borders is proud to help sponsor this conference.
(From left to right: Archbishop Samy Fawzy, the Grand Imām Dr. Aḥmed al-Ṭayyeb, Archbishop Mouneer Anis, and the author)
The Grand Imām was very supportive of the conference and the work of the centre. Since assuming leadership at Al-Azhar in 2010, he has prioritized interfaith efforts around the world. Perhaps most notably, the Grand Imām signed the landmark Document on Human Fraternity with Pope Francis in 2019. Born in Luxor in 1946, the Grand Imām completed his doctorate at al-Azhar University in 1977. He served as the Grand Muftī of Egypt from 2002-2003 and the President of Al-Azhar University from 2003-2010. He is also the chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, an international organization founded in 2014 to promote peace in Muslim communities.
I was honored to be included in this meeting and wish to express my gratitude to Archbishop Samy Fawzy and Archbishop Mouneer Anis. In addition, I’m very grateful to Grand Imām Aḥmed al-Ṭayyeb for his warm welcome and generous support of our interfaith work.
With best wishes,
Matthew Anderson
Executive Editor
Dialogue Across Borders
Emerging Perspectives on Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Dialogue Across Borders is a database of summary translations of Arabic newspaper articles with references to their sources about intercultural and interreligious relations, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Muslim-Christian relations. The database also contains articles with editorial analysis and interviews on the subject.