Global Muslim, Christian leaders to stress coexistence, renounce violence

CAIRO – 26 April 2017: The second dialogue session between the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE), chaired by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb and the World Council of Churches (WCC) is set to take place Wednesday, according to an MCE statement.

The session comes within the framework of the 5th edition of the Dialogue Between the Sages of East and West Conference, which was held in Abu Dhabi last year.

This year’s edition of the conference will be held at Al-Azhar, Egypt's largest Muslim institution, and comes under the slogan, “Freedom and Citizenship: Diversity and Integration.”

The conference will shed light on a number of issues of common concern, such as mechanisms of activating citizenship and coexistence initiatives, principles of tolerance and the role of religious leaders in spreading the values of peace and conformity.

The MCE, established in July 2014, consists of Muslim scholars, experts, sages and dignitaries under a mission to promote peace and discourage violence, divisiveness and infighting.

The council is headed by Tayeb and scholar Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, chairman of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.