The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam met with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Information and Social Development Darkhan Khader Ali in Astana. They discussed the role of media in promoting the values of dialogue, tolerance, and human fraternity.

The Kazakh Minister of Information expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders in promoting world peace and coexistence. He also praised the visit of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb - MCE Chairman - and his participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, during which His Eminence stressed that religious fraternity advances human fraternity.

Khader Ali said that he followed closely the meetings of the Grand Imam and Pope Francis in Kazakhstan - as well as in Bahrain - noting the meetings carry a message of peace and coexistence for all humanity. He also praised the strong relations between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates and the leading role the UAE plays in supporting coexistence around the world.

For his part, the MCE Secretary-General expressed the Council’s appreciation for the efforts of Kazakhstan in promoting interfaith dialogue, pointing out the intention of the Muslim Council of Elders to open a regional office in Kazakhstan, that would be a point of contact with Central Asia.

Judge Abdelsalam added that the MCE views the media as an important component of society because of the role it can play in spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence. He explained that MCE launched the Code of Twenty to help the Arab media contribute to spreading the values of human fraternity. The MCE also intends to launch a code of conduct for the Asian media to assist in promoting a culture of dialogue, acceptance, and coexistence.