The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam met with the President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union Macky Sall in the Senegalese capital of Dakar. During the meeting, the pair discussed possible cooperation and initiatives between the Council and the nation of Senegal. 

Judge Abdelsalam expressed his gratitude to Senegal for the gracious welcome upon his arrival in the country while reiterating the Council’s commitment to cooperating with Senegal on issues related to peace and coexistence in the African continent. 

Abdelsalam added that under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Council is committed to promoting peace in Muslim societies while highlighting Islam’s true and tolerant message. The Secretary-General also praised Senegal for being a model of peace and coexistence in Africa, which has inspired the Council to cooperate with the west-African nation in its current presidency of the African Union - collaborating on various initiatives that serve Muslims in Africa. Abdelsalam also commended President Macky Sall for his role in strengthening Senegal’s standing and for his support of peace in Africa.

For his part, President Macky Sall thanked Judge Abdelsalam for his visit to Senegal while expressing his gratitude to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb and his efforts in spreading the values of peace and human fraternity globally. He also thanked the Grand Imam for his continued support of Senegal through the training of young imams at Al-Azhar University. 

The President of Senegal also expressed his appreciation of the Muslim Council of Elders’ efforts in spreading the values of peace and coexistence in Africa while welcoming future cooperation, particularly initiatives involving women empowerment.

At the meeting’s conclusion, President Sall presented Judge Abdelsalam a copy of his book ’Senegal in the Heart’. Judge Abdelsalam presented the President a copy of the Document on Human Fraternity in French, as well as a copy of his book ‘The Pope and the Grand Imam: A Thorny Path’, which documents the journey to the 2019 signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and His Holiness Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.