Date of source: 10 May 2024
Atheists deny the existence of a God and believe that this universe has come about without a creator. They affirm that material and substance are eternal and presume they have created themselves.
This point of view may seem ludacris, yet millions of people around the world have responded positively...
Date of source: 15 May 2024
A fierce campaign has been launched recently against anyone who dares to express controversial opinions or arguments regarding religion because one must be an expert on religion to be entitled to express an opinion on the matter.
Amidst this controversy, I am returning to an article I wrote many...
Date of source: 7 May 2024
Dr. Maḥmūd al-Hawwārī, Assistant Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Academy, said a new type of atheism has emerged recently, which he referred to as “vogue atheism,” because he believes that the sole aim of this group of atheists is to attract attention.
“Some people feign intellect and...
Date of source: 9 May 2024
Writer Yūsuf Zīdān commented on the recent controversy surrounding the Takwīn Foundation, which launched its annual conference on Saturday (May 4).
“The Takwīn Foundation’s prime objective is to invigorate Egypt’s stagnant cultural scene. We want to improve the level of intellect and appreciation...
Date of source: 10 May 2024
Al-Azhar revealed that it has set up a center to confront atheism and irreligiousness. This was done after the formation of the Takwīn network that brought together a host of elite intellectuals to discuss religious and cultural issues, which has caused controversy on social media with some saying...
Date of source: 10 May 2024
Following the Easter celebrations, Christian churches across Egypt are celebrating Khamāsīn or the Holy Fifty Days. Between now and the Pentecost, which falls on June 23, the churches are marking this festival with joyful music and decorations of white curtains and roses.
The Khamāsīn is the period...
Date of source: 4 May 2024
In celebration of the Feast of Resurrection, Pope Tawāḍrūs is leading the Easter mass today (Saturday) evening at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-ʿAbbāsīya.
The mass is to be attended by a host of ministers, senior state officials, representatives of the presidency and al-Azhar,...
Date of source: 8 May 2024
Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, received Dr. ʿAmr Rashīd, Chairman of the board of directors of the Egyptian Ambulance Organization (EAO), at al-Azhar headquarters. Dr. Ṭayyīb praised the EAO’s role in the relief of injured Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been under...
Date of source: 13 May 2024
Talk show host ʿAmr Adīb said that he would arrange a debate between researcher Islām al-Buḥayrī, one of the founding members of the Arab Intellect Taqueen (Takwīn), and Islamic preacher ʿAbullah Rushdī, to discuss the ideas of the foundation that has recently been sparking controversy.
“Rushdī...
Date of source: 4 May 2024
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem announced that it is not holding celebrations this year due to the “barbaric” war being waged by the occupation forces in Gaza.
“Rather than holding celebrations, there will be prayers held for the wounded and martyred people of the Gaza...
Date of source: 7 May 2024
Archbishop of al-Minyā, Anbā Makāryūs, has been given the nickname the ‘Honest Pastor’ following his visit to the village of al-Fawākhir after the assault on his congregation, where three houses were set alight and more were looted.
Anbā Makāryūs felt the agony of his congregation and did not...
Date of source: 16 May 2024
To the sound of the hymns of “Sunday Dawn,” “The Resurrection,” and other songs, a boat sailed on a cruise of the Nile on which there was a group of priests, tourism investors, and university professors, as well as representatives of Egyptian communities who lived abroad, to inaugurate a new...
Date of source: 6 May 2024
The Egyptian Scientific Academy (Institut d’Égypte), in association with the Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding and Partnership (CCMUP), the University of Cambridge, al-Azhar, Dar al-Iftāʾ, and Egyptian Churches, will hold an international conference under the title “Modern Scientific...
Date of source: 4 May 2024
Since the call for religious reform until this day, we have not reached an agreement about the purpose of this step.
Opinions were mixed regarding this matter. Some thought it was about a change in the style of the daʿwa (call) and the language used in the religious discourse, others believed it...
Date of source: 4 May 2024
Today (May 4), Christians of the Orthodox Church are celebrating Holy Saturday, which follows Good Friday and precedes Easter Sunday, when masses call for the spreading of love and peace.
Sabt al-Nūr was named so because Jesus beamed light during his Harrowing of Hell after the crucifixion.
Holy...
Date of source: 3 May 2024
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Shawqī ʿAllām, said women’s taking of leading positions is permissible according to the sharīʿa, which does not consider gender but rather efficiency and professionalism in accomplishing work.
“The Islamic Sharīʿa celebrates women and grants them all their legitimate...
Date of source: 16 Apr 2024
Palestine is considered to be the cradle of Christianity, the birthplace of Jesus, and home to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the majority of Christian antiquities.
Although the Covenant of ʿUmar was unfair to the Christians of Palestine, they remained an overwhelming majority until the end...
Date of source: 11 May 2024
Statement on the Annual Observance of Palestinian Prisoners Day – April 17, 2024
Cornelis Hulsman – CIDT Senior Advisor; Founding Editor – Dialogue Across Borders/Arab-West Report
The tragedy we see unfolding over Gaza is hell on earth: Palestinian laborers in Israel were forced back into the...
Date of source: 25 Apr 2024
In its excessive oppression, the Israeli occupation does not discriminate between Muslims and Christians. This is what the Palestinians and Arabs have come to understand for over more than seven decades. Below are the most prominent Christian figures who engaged in honorable resistance against the...
Date of source: 23 Apr 2024
The Faculty of Sharīʿa & Law in Cairo organized a symposium under the title ‘Principles of International Humanitarian Law and Common Denominators with the Principles of Islamic Sharīʿa.’
The event fell within the framework of cooperation between al-Azhar and the International Committee of the...
Date of source: 28 Apr 2024
The Ṣūfī Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī lived during the 12th century. Most of his books were lost during his trips from the city of Murcia in Spain (Andalusia) to the Levant, namely Damascus, where he died and was buried.
However, nearly 100 books have remained, varying from major works to small papers,...
Date of source: 22 Apr 2024
While the Israeli war machine relentlessly claims Palestinian lives, Netflix has released a docu-series depicting the life of Prophet Moses and the “tragedy” of the Israelites in Egypt.
The three-part series delves into the Israelites’ suffering, their struggles, and their epic journey to escape to...
Date of source: 1 May 2024
Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, had a telephone conversation with Pope Tawāḍrūs to extend Easter congratulations.
Dr. Ṭayyīb conveyed his good wishes to the pope, praying that such religious occasions provide a chance for fostering fraternal ties among the people of the nation and...
Date of source: 24 Apr 2024
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, commended the efforts exerted by Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, who also serves as Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, in promoting peace, understanding, and interfaith dialogue.
Dr. Ṭayyīb received a message from Guterres in which he...
Date of source: 24 Apr 2024
Journalist Aḥmad al-Ṣāwī, Editor-in-Chief of the Ṣawt al-Azhar (Voice of al-Azhar) newspaper, republished statements by Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, addressing issues related to the construction of churches and communal unrest in certain villages.
Ṣāwī quoted Dr. Ṭayyīb, emphasizing...
Date of source: 22 Apr 2024
Former Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. ʿAlī Gomʿa, said his TV show Nūr al-Dīn (Light of Religion), arrived at the right time to save society and preserve mental well-being from decline.
“The new generations felt the need to break free from authority and perceived parental interventions as mistreatment...
Date of source: 20 Apr 2024
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Shawqī ʿAllām, will participate in the 23rd session of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) council, scheduled to take place on April 20-22 in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
ʿAllām doubles as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the General Secretariat for Fatwa...
Date of source: 28 Apr 2024
Al-Azhar has resumed its scholarly program after the fasting month of Ramaḍān, focusing on elucidating Islamic heritage books with a target of 60 books a week under the guidance of the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb.
Dr. ʿAbd al-Munʿim Fūʾād, General Supervisor of Academic Activities...
Date of source: 16 Apr 2024
Egypt’s Institute of Coptic Studies (ICS) is a renowned educational institution dedicated to Coptic history, heritage and culture. Affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate and chaired by Pope Tawāḍrūs II of Alexandria, the ICS was established in January 1954 by the Millī (Community) Council...
Date of source: 12 Apr 2024
Family difficulties often result in unfortunate consequences, particularly affecting children who bear the brunt of family instability, especially when fathers use financial means to exact revenge on their wives.
According to the first article of law no. 25 (bis 18) of 1929, husbands were legally...
Date of source: 13 Apr 2024
Wives, according to the text of Article 1 Law No. 25/1920, are entitled to receive their sharīʿa rights of nafaqa (alimony) from their husbands starting from the date of the marriage contract. This includes provisions for food, clothing, housing, and medical expenses.
According to Article 20 of Law...
Date of source: 14 Apr 2024
The timing of the announcement of an agreement between Israel and Indonesia to normalize relations might have gone unnoticed under different circumstances, especially before the aggression on Gaza following the events of October 7.
Previously, there had been an atmosphere of Arab normalization with...
Date of source: 21 Nov 2023
Germany's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, has called on Muslim groups in the country to explicitly condemn the October 7 attacks by Ḥamās on Israel.
“I expect the Muslim organizations to position themselves and uphold their responsibilities in society,” Faeser said in an interview with German...
Date of source: 24 Apr 2024
Security forces in the Upper Egyptian province of al-Minyā and the deputy governor rushed to al-Fawākhir village after reported assaults by extremists on Copts over rumors about the construction of a church.
The extremists attacked Copts’ houses with stones and chanted slogans against them while...
Date of source: 24 Apr 2024
Egyptian security forces were able to restore calm in the village of al-Fawākhir, Samāllūṭ town, in the southern Egyptian governorate of al-Minyā, after violence erupted there on Tuesday evening (April 23).
The village witnessed attacks on Copts by a group of people over rumors that a new church...
Date of source: 11 May 2017
The Islamic Research Academy on Thursday, May 11, 2017, held an extraordinary meeting under Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, to discuss the crisis sparked by cleric Dr. Sālim ʿAbd al-Jalīl’s statements regarding Christianity.
The meeting, which reviewed the remarks by ʿAbd al-Jalīl,...
Date of source: 17 Mar 2024
Shaykh Khālid al-Jamāl, a preacher at the Ministry of Awqāf (religious endowments), praised the idea of the program Nūr al-Dīn (Light of Religion) by Dr. ʿAlī Gomʿa, the former grand muftī of Egypt, and said the senior scholar touched on several important topics.
Commenting on the 16th episode,...
Date of source: 19 Apr 2024
The Muslim Council of Elders is participating for the first time in the 38th edition of the Foire Internationale du Livre de Tunis, or the Tunis International Book Fair, which will be held from April 19 to 28 in the Tunisian capital.
The council’s participation in the event aligns with its mission...
Date of source: 26 Mar 2024
A Coptic researcher has criticized the lack of representation of women and Christians in the Bar Council following its 2024 elections.
“The Bar Council is nearly without representation of women and Copts, despite the presence of more than 300,000 eligible voters, 45% of which are women,” said Isḥaq...
Date of source: 17 Apr 2024
When the book ‘al-Mawāqif wa al-Mukhāṭabāt’ by al-Nafarrī was published in Cairo in 1934, the late novelist and Nobel laureate Najīb Maḥfūẓ was just 23 years old, having already graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Department of the Egyptian University, now known as Cairo University. ...