The delegation of the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates, headed by His Eminence Prof. Abbas Shouman, President of the Organization and Secretary-General of the Council of Senior Scholars, participated in the conference titled “The Moderate Nation: A Leader in Peaceful Coexistence, Development, and World Peace.” The event was organized by the Organization’s branch in Malaysia, in collaboration with the Academy of Islamic Studies, and attended by the Malaysian Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs along with a group of al-Azhar graduates from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
A high-level delegation from the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates is currently visiting Malaysia led by Prof. Abbas Shouman, accompanied by Prof. Salama Dawood, President of al-Azhar University and Vice-President of the Organization, Major General Wael Mahmoud Bekhit, Vice-President of the Organization, Prof. Abdul Dayyem Nusseir, Secretary-General of the Organization and Advisor to the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmed Fawzi, Director of Foreign Branches Department.
In his speech during the conference, entitled: “Islam’s Message to the World: Peaceful Coexistence among People is at the Heart of Islam”, Prof. Shouman emphasized that His Eminence the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad at-Tayyeb—may Allah protect him—has taken upon himself the mission of advocating for fraternity, coexistence, and mutual respect, while spreading the message of peace among people. He emphasized al-Azhar’s rejection of the term “minorities” and called for all individuals living in the same country to be referred to as “citizens,” without the distinction of “minority,” regardless of their religion or faith.
Furthermore, Prof. Shouman emphasized that there should be no internal conflict within the Muslim state, as it weakens the unity of the nation. He highlighted that true Islamic unity is a necessity, not the distorted version promoted by extremist groups.
Additionally, Prof. Abbas Shouman explained that possible unity is the unity of solidarity, integration, and the pursuit of society’s development, stressing that scholars have the responsibility to safeguard young people from extremist ideologies.
In his speech titled “The Role of Al-Azhar Curricula in Protecting Students from Extremism and Terrorism,” Prof. Salama Dawood remarked, “I present to you a living example—your sons, the thousands of al-Azhar graduates here in Malaysia. After studying at al-Azhar, have you seen anything from them other than the illumination of the moderate thought they learned from their sheikhs and scholars?” Your trust in the education they received at al-Azhar has made them reliable figures in your country across various fields—education, advocacy, judiciary, fatwa, medicine, pharmacy, engineering, and trade. Some of them have even held esteemed positions in your blessed country, serving as ministers, ambassadors, and high-ranking officials.”
He stressed that His Eminence the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad at-Tayyeb, is exerting great efforts to confront intellectual extremism, promote the values of civilizational dialog, and peaceful coexistence, and support the vulnerable.
Moreover, Prof. Dawood pointed out that al-Azhar, across all its sectors, is dedicated to combating extremism and terrorism through its educational curricula. This includes its pre-university education system, which comprises over eleven thousand Azhari institutes spread across all governorates, centers, and villages of Egypt, serving approximately three million students. Additionally, al-Azhar University, with nearly one hundred faculties distributed throughout Egypt, is ranked as the top university in the country according to the Times international classification.
He stressed that the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates serves as the vital link that brings together all Azhari graduates, offering them great services in education, awareness, advocacy, culture, activities, and training, since it was established in 2007 by His Eminence the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad at-Tayyeb.
It is worth noting that, on the sidelines of the conference, the Malay translation of the book ‘Children Ask the Imam’ was inaugurated.
