During his meeting with Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, on the sidelines of the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, Egypt’s Grand Mufti, President of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, Dr. Nazir Mohammed Ayyad, declared that the ongoing situation in Gaza and Palestine is a full-fledged war crime and a stain on the conscience of the civilized world. He warned that ignoring Palestinian rights and imposing solutions by force will only deepen chaos and conflict, stressing the need for joint international action to end the war in Gaza.

The Grand Mufti highlighted Dar al-Ifta’s initiatives to counter hate speech and Islamophobia, particularly through the Salam Center for Extremism and Islamophobia Studies and the Imam al-Layth ibn Sa‘d Center for the Jurisprudence of Coexistence. He also announced preparations for the second international symposium, coinciding with World Fatwa Day, which will address critical humanitarian challenges such as war, poverty, disease, and conflict, with a special focus on the Palestinian cause.

From his part, Moratinos praised Egypt’s leadership, as well as the efforts of Al-Azhar and Dar al-Ifta, in correcting misconceptions and combating Islamophobia, and expressed his readiness to enhance cooperation with Dar al-Ifta in promoting the true image of Islam and fostering peaceful coexistence among followers of different faiths.