We Need to Adopt a Global Awareness of Values that Places Humanity above all Affiliations
Prof. Abbas Shuman, President of the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates and Secretary General of al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars, affirmed that the message of al-Azhar ash-Sharif, under the leadership of His Eminence the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, is based on elevating the value of human beings, supporting the paths of global peace, and strengthening bridges of understanding between followers of religions. He noted that Islam came bearing a message of mercy and respect for human diversity, and that all divine religions converged on establishing the principle of coexistence and rejecting violence.
This is part of Shuman’s speech delivered at the conference held by the Islamic Cultural Center in the Spanish Capital (Madrid), entitled “The Role of Religious Institutions in Creating Safe Awareness: Al-Azhar ash-Sharif as a Model,” which aims to re-examine religious discourse in confronting extremism and shielding societies against the dangers of violence and hatred.
In addition, Shuman indicated that the conference represents an important platform for presenting the true image of Islam as a religion that establishes values of love and fraternity. He explained that the sanctity of human blood is established firmly by both intuition and creed, and that respecting the specificities of others is an authentic religious principle inseparable from the purposes of nations’ survival and societies’ stability. He cited several Quranic verses that affirmed the unity of human origin and the necessity of mutual acquaintance and communication, clarifying that when the Quranic discourse addresses ‘people,’ it addresses them on the basis of their shared humanity, not on the basis of differences in their races or religions.
He also emphasized that civilizations have never risen through discrimination or exclusion, but rather were established on openness and tolerance, and providing spaces for convergence between cultures.
He explained that al-Azhar, throughout its long history, has provided a practical model for coexistence, manifested in its major initiatives such as the House of the Egyptian Family, the Document on Human Fraternity, the East-West Dialogue, and the Peacemakers Initiative, which carried al-Azhar’s messages to the world.
Furthermore, he pointed out that extremism and racism are not products of religions, but rather social diseases that arise when materialism overwhelms values. He affirmed that justice in laws and elevating the value of human beings are the true foundation for establishing tolerance and coexistence. He noted the danger of employing technology without a value system, as it has become one of the greatest tools for shaping awareness, and its use away from ethics may lead to tearing apart the fabric of societies instead of building it.
He confirmed that religion has never been a source of conflict in its history, but rather was misused when justice was absent and the compass of values deviated. He called for returning religion to its true role in bringing people closer to Allah and to each other, and building their nations.
He concluded his speech by saying that the Madrid Conference is a starting point toward reshaping global awareness based on civilizational fairness. He clarified that ‘peace’ is no longer an option, but a necessity for humanity’s survival, and that bitter experiences have proven that excluding the other feeds extremism, while dialogue and integration open the doors to civilizational stability.
Finally, he called for the adoption of a global awareness of values that places humanity above all affiliations, restores religion’s role in promoting peace and preserving human dignity, and confronts hate speech in all its forms.
