On the International Day of Peace - Muslim Council of Elders: Fostering a Culture of Peace is a Human Responsibility for a More Just and Sustainable World

The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, has called for the necessity of fostering a culture of peace, compassion, tolerance, coexistence, and mutual respect among all people, despite their differences and diversity. This is in order to create a world that is more secure, peaceful, just, developed, and sustainable.

In a statement on the International Day of Peace, celebrated by the United Nations on September 21 of each year, the Council emphasizes that the day represents an important opportunity to strengthen and build bridges of communication, understanding, and compassion amongst all people, and to reject violence and extremism in all its forms and manifestations. The Council also affirmed that religions were intended to promote the values of peace, and were never meant to be advocates for wars, conflicts, or disputes.

Under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders has made numerous efforts to promote peace in both Muslim and non-Muslim societies, and to spread the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence through various purposeful initiatives. This includes organizing the World Peace Conference in 2017, with the participation of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church who also co-signed the historic Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Believing in the role and active contribution of young people in promoting global peace, the Muslim Council of Elders also launched the Emerging Peacemakers Forum, aiming to equip a generation of young individuals capable of actively contributing to peacebuilding and positively engaging in their communities through a range of initiatives. Furthermore, the Council dispatched international peace convoys that traveled around the world, to help rectify misconceptions and confront extremist ideologies.