Egypt Daily News – Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the highest seat of Islamic authority in the Sunni Muslim world, has issued a strongly worded statement denouncing a recent visit by a group of self-described “European imams” to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, led by controversial figure Hassan Chalghoumi.
The institution expressed “deep dismay” over the delegation’s meeting with the Israeli president and their public remarks claiming the visit was aimed at promoting “interfaith dialogue and coexistence.”
Al-Azhar sharply criticized the visit, stating it ignored the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, who have endured what it described as “genocide, unprecedented aggression, massacres, and the continued killing of innocents for more than 20 months.”
“Blind to the Suffering of the Oppressed”
In its statement, Al-Azhar accused the delegation members of moral and spiritual blindness, stating:
“Their eyes and hearts have been blinded, and their emotions dulled to the agony of a people who are under siege. It is as though they share no human, religious, or ethical connection with the oppressed.”
The institution further labeled the group as “mercenaries” who have abandoned their moral and religious values, warning that such figures often find themselves remembered in history’s darkest pages.
“They Do Not Represent Us”
Al-Azhar made it unequivocally clear that the individuals involved in the visit “do not represent Islam, Muslims, or the noble mission entrusted to true scholars, preachers, and imams—one of solidarity with the oppressed and the downtrodden.”
The statement urged Muslims around the world to be cautious and not be deceived by such figures, “even if they perform Muslim prayers or claim religious titles.”
Context and Backlash
The visit has stirred considerable controversy across the Arab and Muslim worlds, coming amid ongoing military escalation in Gaza and mounting international condemnation of Israeli actions against civilians. Al-Azhar’s response is part of a broader chorus of outrage directed at perceived normalization efforts with Israel while the conflict continues.
As the conflict persists and civilian casualties rise, institutions like Al-Azhar continue to stress the moral imperative of standing with the Palestinian people, framing the struggle not only as a political issue but as a religious and humanitarian duty.
Al-Azhar’s statement serves as both a denunciation of the delegation’s actions and a reaffirmation of its own long-standing stance in support of Palestinian rights and resistance to normalization under the shadow of ongoing occupation and violence.
