Grand Imam of Al-Azhar urges backing to Palestinians
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 4/27/2002

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, urged all Muslims everywhere to cooperate to stand by the right by backing the Palestinian people who have been exposed to brutal Israeli aggression.

In Friday sermon, Sheikh Tantawi said that cooperation and unity among Islamic countries strengthen them, whereas separation weakens them, noting that the lone way to achieve victory would be cooperation and closing ranks.

After the prayer, Al-Azhar Mosque witnessed, consecutive week, a massive demonstration in support of the Palestinian people.

Several thousand worshippers protested the incessant and barbaric Israeli aggressions on the unarmed Palestinian people and their Islamic and Christian holy sanctities.

They pressed for an end to the "Zionist massacres perpetrated against the Palestinian people" and exhorted the world community to immediately step in.

The demonstrators vocalized full support to the Palestinian people and lambasted the brazen American bias towards Israel.

Meanwhile, all mosque imams across Sinai on Friday called for supporting the Palestinians in the face of the Israeli occupation.

In their Friday sermons, imams called for raising more funds for the Palestinians and for purchasing in-kind aid to be channeled to the Palestinians.

They called for boycotting foreign products, which contributed to funding Israeli armament, and turning instead to local commodities to boost national economy and help create more job opportunities for Egyptians.

On the other hand, Sheikh Tantawi said that Al-Azhar finalized translation into English and French the final communique by the Academy of Islamic Research (AIC) which had wound up recently in Cairo.

He added that the translated communique would be distributed to all Egypt's embassies all over the world, all foreign embassies in Egypt, international organizations, world human rights organizations and the U.N.

Sheikh Tantawi noted that the world states, especially those who accuse Islam of violence and terrorism, should know that it is religion of peace mercy tolerance, and cooperation.

On the other hand, Sheikh Tantawi opened yesterday the first national conference of mentally retarded children organized by Al-Azhar University.

The three-day conference will be attended by about 200 researchers from Egypt and Arab countries, in addition to professors of pediatrics from all Egyptian universities.

Previous Stories:
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