Pope Francis writes to Imam of prestigious Islamic University al-Azhar

September 20, 2013 - Pope Francis has sent a personal message to Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the great Imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, one of the most prestigious Sunni Islamic institutions in the Arab world. The Vatican’s Fides news agency, received an official statement from al-Azhar saying the Pope expressed esteem and respect “for Islam and Muslims.” The Pope conveyed the hope that efforts will be made to promote "understanding among Christians and Muslims in the world, to build peace and justice". Fides reported that the Pope’s personal letter was handed on September 17 to the Great Imam of Al-Azhar by the Apostolic Nuncio in Egypt, Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, together with the message to the Islamic world also signed by Pope Bergoglio for the end of Ramadan, recently issued by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.”
Dialogue between the Holy See and al-Azhar was interrupted by the university after Pope Benedict XVI urged for protecting Christians in Egypt and the Middle East, after an attack on the Coptic Cathedral in Alexandria on New Year’s eve 2011. The university interpreted the Pope as interfering in Egyptian matters. (Source: Fides)