“Muslim Elders” in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia celebrate the International Day of Human Fraternity

Yesterday, the branches of the Muslim Council of Elders in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia celebrated the International Day of Human Fraternity, which falls on February 4 of each year, and the fifth anniversary of the Human Fraternity Document, which was signed by His Eminence the Grand Imam, Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, President of the Council of Muslim Elders, and His Holiness the Pope. Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, in 2019.

In Indonesia, the branch of the Muslim Council of Elders organized a group of various programmes, activities and events, which aim to enhance the spirit of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence among the various segments of Indonesian society. The activities included the Friday sermon at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, in the presence of His Excellency the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, launching a competition to write a Friday sermon on the topic of human brotherhood, and coordinating with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to issue instructions to preachers in all mosques in Indonesia to devote the Friday sermon to the topic of human brotherhood.

The branch in Indonesia, in cooperation with the Indonesian Committee for People of Determination, also organized special events dealing with the concept of comprehensive brotherhood and equality, in which 150 people of determination participated. The Human Fraternity Document was also translated and printed in Braille and distributed to people of determination.

In Pakistan, the branch of the Muslim Council of Elders held a symposium entitled “Human Brotherhood: Messages of Hope and Peace in the World,” which addressed the efforts made to promote the values ​​and principles of human brotherhood in order to achieve peaceful coexistence, acceptance of others, and pluralism through dialogue and mutual understanding, as well as the main role played by teachings. Tolerant religion in promoting peace and hope not only in the Pakistani context but in the entire world.

In the same context, the Council’s branch in Malaysia organized a number of events and activities to celebrate the International Day of Human Fraternity, where it received His Excellency Dr. Zulkifli bin Muhammad Al-Bakri, member of the Muslim Council of Elders, member of the Senate of Malaysia, and former Minister of Islamic Affairs, in the office of the Muslim Council of Elders. In Malaysia, a delegation including the Most Reverend Julian Liew Bing Kim, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, the Reverend Dr. Clarence Devadas, the Reverend George Harrison, the Reverend Christopher Souseblay, the Reverend The Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, in addition to representatives of the Catholic Church in the Nilai and Seremban region, where the discussion dealt with ways to promote peaceful coexistence in Malaysia, which is known for its religious and ethnic diversity, and its pioneering model of harmony and coexistence as an Islamic country that hosts different religions and ethnicities on its soil.

The Council's branch in Malaysia also held a special event on Bagan Pinang Beach in the city of Seremban, under the slogan “Messages of Hope and Peace.”

These activities come within the ongoing efforts of the Council of Muslim Elders, which aim to consolidate the values ​​of human brotherhood as a basis for coexistence and world peace. The participants expressed their deep appreciation for the Council, led by His Eminence the Grand Imam, Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, President of the Council, for organizing these seminars and events that contribute to Spreading the spirit of brotherhood and understanding among everyone.