The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Chairman of the N. Nazarbayev Centre on the development of interfaith and inter-civilisation dialogue Bulat Sarsenbayev. The aim of the MOC is to promote cooperation in the fields of interreligious and intercultural dialogue specifically in Central Asia as well as coordinating efforts towards correcting misconceptions and spreading tolerance and coexistence amongst young people. 

The Chairman of the N. Nazarbayev Centre on the development of interfaith and inter-civilisation dialogue Bulat Sarsenbayev praised the Muslim Council of Elders under the Chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb for its role promoting dialogue and coexistence. He also noted the Grand Imam’s recent participation at the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions which was held in Kazakhstan in September as well the recent participation the ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum’ which saw His Eminence once again meet with His Holiness Pope Francis and other leaders of the Catholic Church.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam noted the memorandum of cooperation between the N. Nazarbayev Centre on the development of interfaith and inter-civilisation dialogue will no doubt positively impact the spread of coexistence, tolerance and peace in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Abdelsalam also praised Kazakhstan’s important role in consolidating interreligious and intercultural dialogue and the positive results of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions which was held in September in the capital Nur-Sultan and the event’s adoption of the Document on Human Fraternity as an important source for interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates Madyar Menelikov as well as the Chargé d'Affairs of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Kazakhstan Ammar Omar Al Breiki and representatives from the Kazakh President’s Office along with Dr. Samir Boudinar, Executive Director of the Al-Hokama Center for Peace and Research