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Date of source: 12 May 2025
As differences emerged between the Ministry of al-Awqāf (Religious Endowments) and al-Azhar, the Egyptian House of Representatives approved on Sunday (May 11) the draft law on regulating the issuance of fatwas (religious edicts), which aims to confront fatwas issued without a legal framework.
The...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 5 May 2025
A dispute over the bodies with powers to issue fatwas (religious opinions in Islam) caused a religious and legislative controversy in Egypt as the House of Representatives’ Religious Affairs & Awqāf Committee approved in principle a draft law regulating the issuance of fatwas.
The parliament...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 25 May 2025
Grand Imām of al-Azhar Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyib offered sincerest condolences to Palestinian physician Dr. Ālā’ al-Najjār, a mother of nine children killed in a brutal Zionist attack on their house in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Najjār’s husband and her only remaining son were injured in the heinous crime that...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 22 May 2025
The Coptic Orthodox Church recently released a book that documented the incident of the martyrdom of 21 Egyptians in Libya, where they were slain by members of the terrorist Daesh organization in 2015.
The book, titled "The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs" – a Western vision of a...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 May 2025
In its recommendations, the forum’s final statement emphasized the importance of developing training programs specifically for young people, focusing on community engagement and leadership skills. It also stressed the need to provide financial and technical support to civil society organizations...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 14 May 2025
His Eminence, the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmed el-Ṭayyib, Sheikh of al-Azhar, congratulated Pope Leo XIV during a phone call on Wednesday on his election as Pope of the Catholic Church. During the call, the Grand Imam expressed his best wishes to the newly elected Pope for success in promoting...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 18 May 2025
ʿAmr Mūsa, former Foreign Minister and former Secretary-General of the Arab League, has said that US President Donald Trump’s tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, was not only for economic reasons.
In a phone call to Al-Ḥekāya program on MBC Misr on Saturday evening, Mūsa added that the visit...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 10 May 2025
Sheikh Khālid b. Tūnis (Khaled Bentounès) is a respected figure in contemporary Sufism and a fervent advocate of peace. Born in Mustaghānim, Algeria, he is the spiritual guide of the ʿAlawiyya Sufi brotherhood, founded by his ancestor Sheikh Aḥmad al-ʿAlāwī. This movement is renowned for its...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 8 May 2025
The new Pope, American Cardinal Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, delivered his first address from the central window of St. Peter’s Basilica, broadcast on Cairo News Channel.
Pope Leo XIV opened his first address with a call to peace for all people, thanking all those who voted to elect him as...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 8 May 2025
His Holiness Pope Tawāḍrūs II arrived at Cairo International Airport this evening, returning from the Czech Republic following his tour of four countries within the Diocese of Central Europe: Poland, Romania, Serbia, and the Czech Republic.
His Holiness the Pope was received at the airport by His...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 5 May 2025
Two Serbian TV channels and a news agency conducted interviews with Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church on Monday (May 5), during his current visit to Serbia, which is part of his pastoral visit of the Diocese of Central Europe.
Pope Tawāḍrūs expressed joy for visiting Serbia, stressing...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 May 2025
Dr. Rihām Salāma, the executive director of al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism, announced the recommendations of the 4th edition of the "Listen & Speak" Forum held on Tuesday (May 6) at al-Azhar’s conference center.
"The event represented a vital platform for exchanging insights and...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 May 2025
Undersecretary of al-Azhar Dr. Muḥammad al-Ḍūwaynī received a delegation from the Vienna Group for Religion & Diplomacy, a gathering that includes official representatives from 14 European nations and seeks to support interfaith dialogue and spread the culture of coexistence and freedom of...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 May 2025
Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his popemobiles to be converted into a mobile clinic to assist the children of Gaza, one of the communities most affected by the war and humanitarian crisis in that region.
It is the popemobile the pontiff used during his visit to Bethlehem in May 2014...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 21 Apr 2025
With deep sadness and sorrow, President ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī profoundly mourns the passing of the Head of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis. His departure leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of compassion and humanity that will forever remain etched in the conscience of mankind....
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 21 Apr 2025
Social media platforms were filled with posts mourning the death of Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 after suffering from various illnesses during the twelve years of his papacy. Many Christian figures in Jordan and...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 5 May 2025
Date of source: 29 Apr 2025
Following the murder of a young Muslim in a mosque in the Gard region of southern France, the French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, has been accused of stirring up hatred against Muslims, particularly by the left, which has protested against the minister's "double standards." The...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 21 Apr 2025
Grand Imām of al-Azhar Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb mourned Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, who passed away on Monday (April 21), praising him as a man who "dedicated his life to serving humanity, advocating for the oppressed, and supporting interfaith and intercultural dialogues."
"Today, the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 27 Apr 2025
Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church said extremism was no longer confined to misunderstanding of religion, adding, "We live in a complicated time marked by widening secularism, rigid ideologies, and isolation."
"We are witnessing new forms of secularist extremism that are eschewing faith...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 19 Apr 2025
Dr. Andrea Zakī, Head of the Evangelical Community in Egypt, said the call made by Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church to unify festivities was a good step for closer ties between Eastern and Western churches.
"I support this call. It was a coincidence this year that all churches around...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 20 Apr 2025
On a Sunday morning, the Resurrection of Jesus was a new proclamation of God's vision for humanity: life, not death; hope, not despair; reconciliation, not estrangement.
In our contemporary world, groaning under wars, conflicts, and religious, intellectual, and political divisions, the world is in...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 20 Apr 2025
President ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī on Sunday (April 20) congratulated Coptic Christians on the occasion of Easter.
"Coptic sons of Egypt, I offer sincerest congratulations and best wishes for the glorious Easter, praying to God Almighty to protect Egypt and its people and keep it always as a beacon...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 21 Apr 2025
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the affairs of the Holy See in the Vatican, announced in a statement the death of Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church on Monday (April 21).
"At 7:35 (0535 GMT) this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 25 Apr 2025
Date of source: 22 Apr 2025
Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates, Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shāhīn, praised Pope Francis, describing him as one of the greatest symbols of the nation who was truly committed to the cause of justice worldwide. She said, "In these difficult and unprecedented circumstances...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 22 Apr 2025
His Holiness Pope Tawāḍrūs II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Holy See of Saint Mark, said, "We offer our condolences to the entire world following the death of this man who served all of humanity, Pope Francis. His 12 years on the pontifical throne in Rome were filled with work, activity...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 22 Apr 2025
Lebanese President Joseph ʿAoūn mourned the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday. He dedicated himself to peace and humanity, calling for love and confronting hate.
"This is a loss for all of humanity. He was a powerful voice for justice and peace, a champion of the poor...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 22 Apr 2025
President ʿAbd el-Fattāḥ el-Sīsī has delivered a number of messages conveying the state’s vision for raising moderate and responsible individuals who are capable of making positive contributions to our society, highlighting the importance of emulating Imam al-Sayūṭī as a role model, as he made an...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 3 Apr 2025
Dr. Muḥammad Abū Hāshim, a member of the Supreme Council of Sufi Orders, said the Shāzlī order is one of the most prominent Sufi schools that have been founded on the Holy Qur’ān and the Sunna, asserting that the right Sufism is not about renouncing the world.
"The founder, Imām Abu al-Ḥasan al-...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 12 Apr 2025
Christian denominations around the world will celebrate Palm Sunday tomorrow, April 13. This day marks the seventh Sunday of Great Lent, a 55-day fasting period that concludes with the celebration of Easter Sunday on April 20, 2025.
Churches worldwide are getting ready for Hosanna Sunday, popularly...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 22 Apr 2025
The former Israeli ambassador to Italy, Dror Eydar, sharply criticized Pope Francis the day after the announcement of his death, calling on the Jewish state not to attend his funeral.
Pope Francis, a central figure in the Vatican since 2013, died on Monday at the age of 88, prompting a...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 21 Apr 2025
It is with infinite sadness that the Great Mosque of Paris has been informed of the death of Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and an emblematic figure of interreligious dialogue and human brotherhood, on Easter Monday.
Shams al-Dīn Ḥāfiẓ, Rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, the religious...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 13 Apr 2025
Hundreds of Christian believers participated in the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem. The procession started from the Monastery of Bayt Fajjār in the town of Al-Tūr and passed through the streets of the town, including the road to the Church of Gethsemane, the Church of Santa Maria, and the road...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 13 Apr 2025
A pastor of the Anglican Cathedral of St. George in Jerusalem said, "The Israeli occupation’s bombardment of al-Ahlī Hospital in the city of Gaza, rendering it out of service on Palm Sunday, is insulting all Christians and violates all rules of human behavior."
"During the early morning hours of...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 13 Apr 2025
Israeli occupation authorities denied Christians from the West Bank access to the occupied city of Jerusalem to attend the Palm Sunday celebrations, according to the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA).
Eastern and Western churches celebrate Palm Sunday, the last Sunday before Easter and...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 13 Apr 2025
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine strongly condemned the odious crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces as they bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, run by the Anglican Church in Gaza City, on Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days for Christians. The committee...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 12 Apr 2025
Many wonder about the possibility of the marriage between Christians of different denominations. In light of this, the Coptic Orthodox Church has agreed on a new set of rules regarding marriage, which aim to regulate personal status within the sect. Foremost among these rules is the requirement...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 13 Apr 2025
Archpriest Mūsa Ibrāhīm, spokesperson for the Coptic Orthodox Church, has expressed his solidarity with Christians in the West Bank after the Israeli occupation prevented them from reaching Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday in the city’s churches, in particular the Church of the Holy Sepulchre....
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 10 Apr 2025
On Wednesday, 9 April, Emmanuel Macron announced that France could recognize a Palestinian state "in June" at a conference it will co-chair with Saudi Arabia at the United Nations in New York, which, according to him, would also lead to the recognition of Israel by a number of countries.
"We must...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 10 Apr 2025
On April 7 and 8, Emmanuel Macron traveled to Cairo to meet his Egyptian counterpart, ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī. The visit gave the two heads of state an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the "unbearable situation" in the Gaza Strip.
Emmanuel Macron,...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 1 Apr 2025
Today (Tuesday) marks the anniversary of the death of Dr. Maḥmūd Ḥamdī Zaqzūq, the former Minister of Awqāf (religious endowments), who passed away on April 1, 2020.
Zaqzūq, born in the governorate of al-Daqahlīya on December 27, 1933, obtained his university degree at the Faculty of Arabic...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 2 Apr 2025
Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Salām welcomed a South African Council of Churches delegation at the Council's headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
The delegation included Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, former General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches; Bishop...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 4 Apr 2025
A Palestinian scholar and a former student of al-Azhar said that he felt relieved by a phone call from Grand Imām Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, who expressed support and appreciation for the struggling Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip under cruel and calamitous circumstances.
"Despite the tough...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 Apr 2025
The 2nd edition of a program on producing promising female leaders was inaugurated under the patronage of Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, Grand Imām of al-Azhar, and Dr. Salāma Dāwūd, President of al-Azhar University.
"The event tackled the issue of empowerment of women," said Dr. Muḥammad Fikrī Khiḍr, Vice-...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 2 Apr 2025
I would like to extend my congratulations on this occasion of ʿEid al-Fiṭr to all of our Muslim brothers who are celebrating in Egypt and across the world, praying to God for joy and peace in our country and for our people, as well as over the region and the rest of the world. Today, Coptic...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 16 Mar 2025
As Eīd al-Fiṭr approaches, Muslims around the world are preparing to pay the Zakāt al-Fiṭr, an obligatory almsgiving that symbolizes solidarity and generosity. In Algeria, the amount of these alms for 2025 has been officially announced by the religious authorities.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 6 Apr 2025
Date of source: 5 Apr 2025
Date of source: 23 Mar 2025
Bishop Paula (Būla), the Archbishop of Tanta and its suburbs and the person responsible for personal status law within the Coptic Orthodox Church, confirmed that the new Personal Status Law for Christians has set the age of a minor to be under 21 years, instead of 18 years, as is the case in other...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 18 Mar 2025
Sāndī Girgis, a young Christian woman, is engaged in charity activities during the holy fasting month of Ramaḍān to hand out ifṭār (fast-breaking) meals she had cooked at her home in the streets of the coastal province of al-Ismāʿīlīya, where she lives, giving them to the poor and needy.
Girgis has...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 19 Mar 2025
Rev. Dr. Andrea Zakī, head of the Evangelical community in Egypt, expressed "deep appreciation" for the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, and for his "pioneering role in promoting the values of tolerance and peace."
He emphasized that Dr. Ṭayyīb is a "global religious figure and a...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 31 Mar 2025
In a beautiful display reflecting love and friendship, Christians in Syria sent a joyful message to Muslims on the occasion of ʿEīd al-Fiṭr.
Stood outside Our Lady’s Church in Damascus, a Christian choir sung a message of congratulations to Syrian Muslims to the tune of the song "The Full Moon Has...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
Date of source: 24 Mar 2025
The former Grand Mufti of Egypt and member of the Council of Senior Scholars at Al-Azhar, Sheikh ‘Alī Gomʿa, answered a question from one of the youths: "If a Christian dies as a martyr for the country, does he go to Heaven?" Gomʿa said, "This is something that should be discussed within the...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 26 Mar 2025
Date of source: 15 Mar 2025
The Patriarchal Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Al-Quds), Bishop William al-Shomali (William al-Shūmalī), refuted in a scholarly and theological manner the justification of Jewish claims to Palestine by saying that the Bible is not a land registry that grants land to one people over...
Reviewed by Khadija Quadri al-Jilani
Translator Khadija Quadri al-Jilani
Date of source: 18 Mar 2025
More than 150 personalities from different backgrounds came together to celebrate Ramaḍān in a spirit of sharing and diversity.
On Sunday evening in Casablanca, representatives of the three monotheistic religions, as well as athletes, cultural figures, and diplomats from some twenty countries, took...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 21 Mar 2025
In this interview with TSA Algérie, Shams al-Dīn Ḥafīẓ, rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, talks about the role of the institution in bringing peace between Algeria and France, whose relations are going through a serious crisis.
He discusses the absence of the Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 7 Mar 2025
Morocco’s permanent representative at the UN Office in Geneva, ʿUmar Znīber, has highlighted the Moroccan model of religious coexistence and its efforts to boost values of tolerance, mutual respect, and interfaith dialogue.
“Morocco is a land of diversity and tolerance and portrays a harmonious...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 15 Mar 2025
Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church received at the Papal Residence in Cairo a delegation of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) led by Secretary-General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, and discussed a proposal on unifying the date of Easter celebrations among all Christians...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
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Emerging Perspectives on Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Dialogue Across Borders is a database of summary translations of Arabic newspaper articles with references to their sources about intercultural and interreligious relations, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Muslim-Christian relations. The database also contains articles with editorial analysis and interviews on the subject.