wfn.org | Anglican Communion and al-Azhar al-Sharif Agree to Dialogue

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 2852 - LAMBETH PALACE - 2 February 2002

An agreement for dialogue between the Anglican Communion and al-Azhar
al-Sharif

We affirm the importance of building on the excellent relations between the
Anglican Communion and a]-Azhar al-Sharif.

We acknowledge the brotherly relations between the Grind Sheikh of al-Azhar,
Dr Mohamed Sayed Tantawy and Dr George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury
and the President of the Anglican Communion.

We believe that friendship which overcomes religious, ethnic and national
differences is a gift of the Creator in whom we all believe.

We recognise that both sides need to accept each other in a straightforward
way so as to be able to convey the message of peace to the world.

We believe that direct dialogue results in restoration of the image of each
in the eyes of the other.

Continuing from the visit of Dr Carey to al-Azhar al-Sharif in October 1995
and the visit of Dr Tantawy, the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar al-Sharif, to
Lambeth Palace in 1997 and the return visit of Dr Carey to at-Azhar
al-Sharif in November 1999, and because of our common faith in God and our
responsibility to witness against indifference to religion on the one hand
and religions fanaticism on the other, we hope that we may contribute to
international efforts to achieve justice, peace and the welfare of all
humanity, resourced by the positive experiences in our long history as
Christians and Muslims living together both in Egypt and the United Kingdom
and many other parts of the world.

In consequence of this, Dr George Carey, the President of the Anglican
Communion, has appointed the following members to the Interfaith Commission:

The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Lamb
The Rt Revd Mouneer Hanna Anis, Bishop in Egypt with North Africa
The Rt Revd David Smith, Bishop of Bradford, UK
The members of the Permanent Committee of al-Azhar al-Sharif for Dialogue on
Monotheistic Religions are:

Sheikh Fawzy EI Zefzaf, President
Dr Ali EI Samman, Vice President
Ambassador Dr Ahmed Maray
Dr Mustaffa AI Shakfah
Sheikh Abu Agour
Ambassador Nabil Badre
Representatives of both sides met in al-Azhar on 10 and 11 September 2001
and discussed the proposal for the dialogue between the Anglican Communion
and al-Azhar al-Sharif with the hope of achieving the following goals:

To encourage Anglicans to understand Islam and to encourage Muslims to
understand the Christian faith.

To share together in solving problems and conflicts that happen sometimes
between Muslims and Christians in different parts of the world, and to
encourage religious leaders to use their influence for the purpose of
reconciliation and peace making.

To work together against injustice and the abuse of human rights among
different nationalities and to spread the good teaching of both Islam and
Christianity.

To encourage institutions on both sides to play a positive role in
development.

To achieve these goals the following decisions were taken:

A Joint Committee will be established from both sides composed of a Chairman
and two members from each side already appointed. It may be possible in the
future to add new members but each side will inform the other about its
membership.

This joint Committee will meet at least once a year in Egypt and the United
Kingdom alternately. Each delegation will cover its expenses for travel and
accommodation and could meet more than once a year if necessary.

At the end of each meeting a Press Release will be issued. The text of the
communiqui must be agreed by the Joint Committee before publication. No
information about papers presented to the joint Committee will be released
outside it without the agreement of both sides.

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr George Carey
Archbishop of Canterbury

His Eminence Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawy
Grand Imam of el-Azhar

The Rt Revel Mouneer Hanna Anis
Bishop in Egypt with North Africa

Sheikh Fawzy El Zefzaf
President, Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue with the
Monotheistic Religions

The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Lamb

Dr Ali El Samman
Vice President, Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue with the
Monotheistic Religions

_______________________________________________
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