UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Praises Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Who Glorified Hamas’ October 7 Massacre: ‘His Permanent Engagement To Foster Peace And Solidarity Must Be An Example To All’
As part of a Middle East tour on the occasion of Ramadan, on March 24, 2024 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met in Cairo with the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the supreme religious authority in the Sunni Muslim world. In a post on his X account after the meeting, Guterres praised Al-Tayyeb, saying that “his permanent engagement to foster peace and solidarity must be an example to all.” This is despite the unreserved support expressed by Al-Tayyeb and by the institute he heads for the Hamas terror organization. Immediately after Hamas’ October 7 terror attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage, Al-Azhar issued a statement declaring that the institution “salutes with utmost pride the resistance efforts of the proud Palestinian people.”[1] In another statement several days later, Al-Azhar again saluted the steadfastness of the Palestinians in Gaza in their struggle against Israel and their willingness to be martyred on its soil.[2] Moreover, since October 7 other Al-Azhar officials have frequently incited against Israel and the U.S. while using virulently antisemitic rhetoric, calling the Jews “the descendants of apes and pigs,” “killers of the prophets” and “enemies of humanity” and hoping for their demise. The dean of the Islamic and Arabic Studies faculty at Al-Azhar University, Muhammad Omar Al-Qady, blasted the U.S., calling it “the greatest Satan” and a “global mafia.”
It should be noted that Ahmad Al-Tayyeb is known for his extremist positions and support for terrorism and terrorist organizations, and refuses to promote moderate religious discourse as part of the fight against extremism. This is despite his frequent participation in interfaith dialogue and although he signed the Document on Human Fraternity along with Pope Francis in 2019. In the past he stated, for example, that martyrdom attacks by Palestinians against Israeli targets are legitimate acts of self-defense, because, as long as Israel, the “barbaric enemy,” continues to attack the Palestinians with Western and American backing, the Palestinians are entitled “to blow up whatever they want.” He also said that there was no proof that Osama bin Laden was responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks and hinted that Israelis may have been behind them. On another occasion he claimed that fundamentalist terrorist groups are the product of imperialism in the service of global Zionism. Moreover, Al-Azhar under Al-Tayyeb refuses to accuse Muslim terrorists of heresy – which would have deprived them of religious justification for their violent actions – thus undermining the efforts of Egyptian President ‘Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi to promote moderate religious discourse.[3]
This report reviews the recent meeting between UN Secretary-General Guterres and Al-Azhar Sheikh Al-Tayyeb and the positions expressed by the latter and by the institution he heads in praise of Hamas and against Israel since October 7.
Guterres About Al-Tayyeb: His Commitment To Peace Is An Example To All
As stated, on March 24, 2024, despite the support expressed by Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb and by other officials in his institution for Hamas and for its October 7 massacre, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres chose to visit Al-Tayyeb in his Cairo headquarters, along with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova. According to Al-Azhar, during the meeting Guterres said to Al-Tayyeb: “I am honored to meet you. We appreciate your persistent effort to foster peace and solidarity; you are an example to all. I wish to convey our appreciation for Al-Azhar, which is as a strong voice defending and supporting the Palestinian people.”[4]
See Also:
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