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Date of source: 16 Mar 2025
Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, who is also chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, said that interfaith and intercultural dialogue are no longer a luxury today, but an existential necessity to save humanity from ignorance and misunderstandings.
He stressed the importance of having...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 10 Mar 2025
The Dominican Fathers Monastery hosted a signing ceremony on the book “Father George Qanawātī: A Life for Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue” authored by Dominican Father Jean-Jacques Pérennès.
The event was attended by Bishop Claudio Lurati of the Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria, which...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 10 Mar 2025
The relationship between Pope Cyril VI and the late leader Gamāl ʿAbd el-Nāṣṣer, marked by affection and warmth, is depicted by Moḥammad Ḥassaneīn Heīkal in his book Autumn of Fury. Heīkal writes, “The relationship between Gamāl ʿAbd el-Nāṣṣer and Cyril VI was excellent; they had mutual admiration...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 13 Feb 2025
In light of successful endeavors by Egypt and Qatar to complete the ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the beginning of the Christian pilgrimage season to Jerusalem, Copts are wondering about the possibility of making it this year after a ban in 2024.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 7 Mar 2025
Security forces, in cooperation with the Coptic Archbishopric in Sūhāg Governorate, southern Egypt, brought a Christian girl who reportedly disappeared on February 24, back to her family.
The father of the 19-year-old Mārīnā Khalaf had reported her missing but blamed no one for her disappearance....
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 26 Feb 2025
In a TV message read out by Aḥmad al-Tawfīq, the Minister of Ḥabūs and Islamic Affairs, King Muḥammad VI calls on Moroccans not to perform the ritual sacrifice of ʿEīd al-Aḍḥa.
In his address, the King stated:
"Dear People, We endeavor to bring together, for the benefit of our faithful people, the...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 9 Mar 2025
745 civilians have been killed in Syria's coastal regions and the mountains of Latakia by security forces in three days, according to the OSDH.
Syrian President Aḥmad al-Sharʿaon Sunday called for "national unity" in the country after three days of communal violence unprecedented since the fall of...
Reviewed by Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Translator Joelle Elise Mayoraz
Date of source: 20 Feb 2025
Participants in the 4th session of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference said that the convening of this meeting reflects profound interest by al-Azhar, the Muslim Council of Elders, and the Kingdom of Bahrain in rallying Muslim ranks, praising their efforts to boost values of citizenship and...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 1 Mar 2025
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Naẓīr ʿAyyād, said that coordination is underway with al-Azhar, the Ministry of Awqāf (Religious Endowments), al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in order to devise a legal framework to regulate fatwas in Egypt.
“Dār al-Iftā’...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 1 Mar 2025
Many Moroccans warmly welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Religious Endowments, Aḥmad al-Tawfīq, about the cancellation of this year’s ‘Eid al-Aḍḥā sacrifice, especially given that it will spare a large part of the population from the soaring livestock prices that had skyrocketed last year...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 2 Mar 2025
Dr. ʿAlī Gomʿa, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, responded to a question from a female student about a controversial ḥadīth which states that the majority of those in hell will be women.
The Ramaḍān television program, Nūr al-Dīn wa al-Dunyā (“Light of Religion and the World”), is hosted by Dr....
Reviewed by Jack Heron, ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator Jack Heron, ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 26 Feb 2025
Dr. Ramzī Khūrī, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and head of the Higher Presidential Committee of Church Affairs in Palestine (HCC), has sent a telegram to Pope Francis in which he wished him a speedy recovery. He prayed to God for his health and for...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 24 Feb 2025
When Jesus Christ stood before Pontius Pilate, He clearly stated, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36), thus proclaiming the complete rupture between His spiritual message and any political project on earth. These words constitute the cornerstone of the separation between religious...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
President of al-Azhar University says that the Israelites failed to believe despite all the miracles
Date of source: 21 Feb 2025
President of al-Azhar University, Dr. Salāma Dāwūd, said that the Israelites have argued and disbelieved in spite of all the miracles God has supported the Prophet Moses with.
“When Moses brought them together and asked them whether they would believe if the mountain was raised off the ground to...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 23 Feb 2025
Egypt’s Catholic Church participated in the conclusion of the prayer week for Christian unity at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Old Cairo.
Bishop Tūmā Ḥabīb of the Diocese of Sūhāg for Coptic Catholics, Bishop Claudio Lurati of the Latin Church in Egypt, Bishop Mor Ephrem Īlī Warda of the Diocese of...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 18 Feb 2025
Media figure Ibrāhīm ʿĪsa said the economic predicament and political pressures should not be pushing Egyptian citizens to misjudge attitudes now that certain sides are trying to heat up emotions in their own interests.
“There are groups that seek to undermine the Egyptian state and citizens. The...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 17 Feb 2025
Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem have condemned forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. In response to the recent statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump, patriarchs and church leaders in Jerusalem have called to stand against the plans for the mass...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 16 Feb 2025
The Secretary-General of the Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars has stated that “the beauty of Arabic calligraphy reflects the uniqueness of the Arabic language, which God chose for His Noble Book (Kitābihi al-Karīm). Al-Azhar Forum for Arabic Calligraphy pursues its journey in highlighting the...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Bishop Awlūgiyyūs (Ologios) issues statement regarding fire at the Bishop Shenūda Monastery in Sūhāg
Date of source: 17 Feb 2025
His Grace Bishop Awlūgiyyūs (Ologios), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of al-Anbā Shenūda (also known as the White Monastery or Athribian Monastery) in Sūhāg (Upper Egypt, South of Asyūṭ), has issued a statement regarding the recent fire at the monastery.
According to the statement, the fire...
Reviewed by Maé Lefèvre
Translator Maé Lefèvre
Date of source: 17 Feb 2025
Minister of Awqāf (Religious Endowments), Dr. Osāma al-Azharī, stated that Egypt and Jordan reaffirmed their rejection of any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause and displace Palestinians from their own lands.
“The only fair solution is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 17 Feb 2025
Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars commemorated the death anniversary of Dr. Aḥmad Ṭaḥa Rayyān, a prominent Mālikī fundamentalist cleric, who passed away on February 17, 2021.
Born on the 12th of Dhū al-Ḥijja in 1357 AH (February 10, 1939 AD) in the village of Al-Rayyāna, Al-Gharbī Qamula, Al-...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 15 Feb 2025
Adoption in Christianity is a valued human bond between the adopted and the adopting family, as the child becomes an integral part of the family and is given a new opportunity to pursue happiness and liberty. The adopting family is expected to provide considerable support and care for the adopted...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 25 Jan 2025
Minister of Awqāf (Religious Endowments) Osāma al-Azharī said his ministry surveyed nearly 40 takfīrī groups, including the Ikhwān (Muslim Brotherhood) and jihādist organizations.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Takfīrīis an Arabic and Islamic term denoting a Muslim who excommunicates one of his/her coreligionists...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 17 Feb 2025
Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church inaugurated the Coptic Monasticism Seminar, taking place on February 15-21 at the LOGOS Papal Center in Saint Anbā Bīshūy in Wādī al-Naṭrūn.
The event was attended by Anbā Danyāl, the rapporteur of the synod committee on monasticism and monasteries’...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 10 Feb 2025
Dr. Sāmī Fawzī, Archbishop of the Province of Alexandria for the Episcopal/Anglican Church in Egypt, said the Epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy emphasized the importance that all education be standardized in the light of the Bible as the only source for sound teachings.
Dr. Fawzī made the remarks...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 30 Jan 2025
The Centre of Christian-Muslim Understanding & Partnership (CCMUP), affiliated with the Anglican Episcopal Church in Egypt, witnessed today, Thursday, (January 30), a ceremony to hand the Dr. ʿAlī al-Sammān Awards for Interfaith Dialogue, for which the center received applications last November...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 5 Feb 2025
Al-Azhar launched a daʿwah (call) convoy to the al-ʿĀshir min Ramaḍān city in al-Sharqīya governorate, upon directives from Grand Imām Dr. Aḥmad Al-Ṭayyīb and in coordination with Dr. Muḥammad ʿAbd Al-Dāyīm Al-Jindī, Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Academy.
The convoy aims to promote...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 3 Feb 2025
A member of Egypt’s Senate’s Cultural Committee stated that scientific research can help address societal challenges such atheism, extremism and homosexuality, in addition to contributing to sectors like agriculture and industry.
“The budget for scientific research is 1.2% of the gross national...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 4 Feb 2025
Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church described atheism as the abandonment of faith in divine religions, adding that the Church also offers awareness-raising lectures on confronting atheism. “In the age of science we are in now, the power of the mind may dominate human beings in a way that...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 3 Feb 2025
The Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism stated in an article published in Italian that global awareness of Israeli crimes in Palestine is growing, as peoples around the world reject violations targeting unarmed civilians, particularly women and children.
The observatory noted that fourteen...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 3 Feb 2025
Al-Sirāj Publishing House decided to withdraw the book ‘Kāmilāt ʿAql wa Dīn’ (Complete in Reason & Religion) by author Asmā’ ʿOthmān al-Sharqāwī from the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) 2025.
The decision was taken after the book had been severely criticized, as some considered it clashing...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Author of a controversial book withdrawn from CIBF says al-Azhar had nothing to do with the decision
Date of source: 4 Feb 2025
The author of a controversial book that was taken down from the Cairo International Book Fair 2025 denied that al-Azhar or the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) had anything to do with the decision, noting her publication has come under a “fierce campaign.”
“The book ‘Kāmilāt ʿAql wa Dīn’ (...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 2 Feb 2025
Al-Azhar continues its pioneering role in preserving and publishing Islamic heritage through its distinguished participation at the 56th Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF).
The Manuscripts Museum inside al-Azhar’s pavilion has been attracting visitors’ attention and offering a unique opportunity...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 3 Feb 2025
Religious institutions are participating in the 56th session of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) through pavilions of the Azhar, Dār al-Iftā’, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in a bid to spread moderate thought, boost the values of moderation and tolerance, and introduce...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 2 Feb 2025
Egypt’s Dār al-Kutub wa al-Waṯā’iq al-Qawmīya (National Library and Archives) announced offering a limited number of coppies of the Egypt Mosques encyclopedia at the Dār’s booth in the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF).
It indicated that the book has an appendix of the Islamic antiquities...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 9 Feb 2025
The Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center is taking part in the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) from January 23 to February 5 at Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in New Cairo.
Among the most prominent publications of the COCC at the fair are the book of the saint Pope Kīryllos VI, the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 4 Feb 2025
The 3rd session of the cultural salon in the 56th session of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) saw a rich discussion under the title ‘Philosophy and Sufism in Egypt,’ as a host of intellectuals and researchers exchanged views on the influence of philosophy and Sufism in shaping religious and...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 27 Jan 2025
Al-Azhar’s pavilion will host a series of anticipated seminars at the 56th annual session of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), fostering dialogue and promoting Islamic scholarship. One such seminar, “Towards an Islamic-Islamic Dialogue,” will take place of Tuesday, January 28, as part of...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 24 Jan 2025
At the 56th Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), the Azhar’s pavilion hosted its second seminar on Friday, January 2, titled, ‘Sound Nature and Reason in the Face of Atheism.’ The session was led in lecture by Dr. Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Dāyīm Al-Jindī, Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Academy...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 25 Jan 2025
Former Grand Muftī of Egypt Dr. Shawqī ʿAllām has stated that extremist groups distort religious texts and Islamic jurisprudence to serve their own agendas, further adding that these groups adopt their own interpretations, whether based in the Qur’ān or the ḥadīth, with the aim of manipulating them...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 22 Jan 2025
The Iraqi parliament announced on Tuesday, the 21st, the approval of amendments to personal status law in the country following several re-drafts due to criticism that the new amendments could allow child marriages.
Despite this success, lawmakers have stated that the session was marred by...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 15 Jan 2025
Patriarch Mār Bishāra Buṭrus Al-Rāʿī led a delegation of Maronite bishops to visit Lebanese President General Joseph Khalīl ʿAoūn at Baabda (Baʿbdā) Palace to offer congratulations for the country’s new president.
In statements following the visit, Patriarch Rāʿī spoke in support of the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 23 Jan 2025
Minister of Culture Aḥmad Fū’ād Hannū opened the 56th session of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), one of the largest book fairs across the globe, in the presence of the Minister for Religious Endowments (awqāf), Dr. Osāma al-Azharī, as well as the Chair of the General Egyptian Book...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 27 Jan 2025
Preparations are taking place in the Coptic Orthodox Church for Great Lent, one of the most significant periods of holiness and repentance and one of the longest and most prominent fasts, lasting for 55 days.
Lent is a great opportunity for believers to prepare spiritually, as the fasting focuses...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 16 Jan 2025
Dr. Muḥammad Mhannā, a professor at Al-Azhar University, has stated that the awrād (prayers and litanies in Sufism) are acts of worship that a Muslim commits to performing at specific times, as it is a means of drawing closer to God Almighty.
“The awrād includes both obligatory and voluntary acts...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 4 Oct 2021
Grand Imām of Al-Azhar Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb and Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church reaffirmed their commitments to “reinforce and consolidate the values of dialogue.”
Both leaders emphasized that “returning to the teachings of religions is the path to salvation from extremism and division...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 19 Jan 2025
Grand Imām of Al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad El-Ṭayyeb, has continued to defend the honorable Sunnah of the Prophet in episodes on the Egyptian Satellite Channel, emphasizing the extent to which it has been proven to be a source of legislation. He asserted that the denial of the Sunnah’s credibility and...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 11 Jan 2025
Maronite Patriarch of Lebanon Cardinal Mār Bishāra Buṭrus al-Rāʿī has said that the content of the speech delivered by Lebanese President General Joseph ʿAoūn when he was sworn into the Lebanese parliament on Thursday (January 9) is a “roadmap for the salvation of Lebanon.”
Cardinal Rāʿī made the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 Jan 2025
The 50th Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayīb, known as the Imām of Peace and Father of Expatriate Students, turned 79 years old on January 6, 2025.
Imām Aḥmad Muḥammad Aḥmad al-Ṭayīb al-Ḥassānī is the current chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders and formerly served as the Grand Muftī of...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 26 Jan 2025
Date of source: 7 Jan 2025
Pope Tawāḍrūs of the Coptic Orthodox Church has stressed the unity of Egyptians as “one family,” asserting that “Egyptians can never be divided.”
“Egyptians have been united throughout history, from the ages of the Pharaohs to the Coptic and Islamic periods, and even today the Nile remains a key...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 8 Jan 2025
Dr. Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Bayyūmī, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, convened a meeting to outline the council’s participation in the 56th session of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) 2025, scheduled to run from January 24 to February 5.
During the meeting, the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 12 Jan 2025
Anbā Būlā, Archbishop of Ṭanṭā and its dependencies, has stated that the draft law on personal status for Christians is a “historic turning point” as it represents the first ever integrated code on personal status for Copts in Egypt.
“The current Statute of 1938 on personal status clashes with the...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 20 Dec 2024
Yūsuf Ṭalʿat, a legal advisor for the Coptic Evangelical community in Egypt, described the new personal status law for Christians as a series of historical rights for Christian citizens. He added that the law consists of 160 articles divided into 10 chapters.
“The new personal status law for...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 15 Dec 2024
Counselor Munṣif Najīb Sulaymān, the representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the Personal Status Law Panel, revealed that the five Christian denominations in Egypt have reached a consensus on the first law regulating the personal status affairs of Christian families.
“The denominations have...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 26 Dec 2024
Amendments expected to be added to the Moroccan Family Code have sparked large-scale controversy, with many considering the country’s personal status law, known as the Family Code, as a “major reform in regulating family affairs and protecting the rights of individuals.”
According to the Maghreb...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 23 Dec 2024
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Naẓīr ʿAyyād has stated that Dār al-Iftā’ approves of many of the issues raised within the draft law on personal status affairs.
“The draft law on personal status affairs works to overcome differences in traditions and habits,” ʿAyyād said in statements to Ṣada al-Balad TV...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 6 Jan 2025
“All state affairs are handled with honor and integrity,” President ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī stated when wishing Coptic Orthodox Christians a peaceful new year when he visited the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ on Eastern Christmas, situated in the New Administrative Capital, 45 kilometers east...
Reviewed by ʿAmr al-Misrī
Translator ʿAmr al-Misrī
Date of source: 13 Dec 2024
Since the overthrow of Bashār al-Assad and the Syrian Baʿath Party, many people have been feeling joyful and optimistic – not just in Syria, but across the Middle East and the rest of the world. However, this optimism has been closely followed by feelings of uncertainty about a future under new...
Reviewed by Jack Heron
Translator Jack Heron
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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.