President of Kazakhstan Awards Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders the 'Medal of Shafa'a' in Appreciation of His Efforts in Promoting Interfaith Relations and Human Fraternity

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, bestowed upon Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, the prestigious 'Medal of Shafa'a (Intercession)' on Wednesday. The award is one of the highest honors in Kazakhstan, recognizing Judge Abdelsalam's tireless efforts in promoting interfaith relations and human fraternity.

Judge Abdelsalam received the medal, one of the highest honors in Kazakhstan, from His Excellency Maulen Ashimbayev, the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders expressed deep appreciation and gratitude to President Tokayev for this recognition and commended Kazakhstan's leading role in advancing the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence. He also emphasized that Kazakhstan's Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions has evolved into a prominent international platform for interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue.

In addition to this honor, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders has been the recipient of several other distinguished awards. Notably, he was conferred with the papal knighthood—'Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX' by Pope Francis, in recognition of his significant contributions towards fostering human fraternity and interfaith dialogue. Notably, he was the first Arab andbMuslim to receive this esteemed accolade from the head of the Catholic Church.

President Tokayev also bestowed upon Judge Abdelsalam the 'Astana Medal' in recognition of his dedicated efforts in promoting human fraternity and dialogue. Furthermore, in June 2023, he was awarded an honorary professorship by Eurasian National University in Kazakhstan, acknowledging his unwavering commitment to propagating the values of dialogue, tolerance, fraternity, and coexistence.

Among the many accolades he has received, Abdelsalam was also honored with the 'Community Service Medal' by the Minister of Interior of the United Arab Emirates. This award acknowledged his steadfast commitment and positive impact in enhancing security within societies. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court of the Arab Republic of Egypt also conferred upon him the Constitutional Court Medal in appreciation of his distinguished representation of the Egyptian judiciary during his tenure at Al-Azhar and on the Constitutional Assembly.

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, as the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, concurrently holds the position of Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. He is also a member of the Al-Azhar Interfaith Dialogue Center and serves as the Co-President of the Religions for Peace organization. He has served as Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity and as an advisor to His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and played a pivotal role in the preparation of the historic Document on Human Fraternity, which was co-signed by Pope Francis and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019. Additionally, he actively contributed to the drafting and writing of the Egyptian Constitution in the Constitutional Assembly for the amendment of the Egyptian Constitution in 2012 and 2013. He was also instrumental in formulating several key documents for Al-Azhar between 2011 and 2018.