During a meeting with the delegation World Council of Churches headed by Dr. Olav Fyske, Secretary-General of the Council, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Shawqi Allam, stressed today afternoon at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyya, that Egypt is an example of co-existence between Christians and Muslims who are partners in the nation and one that is worthy of study. He said that this is not a spur of the moment matter but the product of centuries of affinity and tolerance between the people of one nation.

Dr. Olav Fyske conferred with Dr. Shawqi on the means of promoting co-operation between the Council and Dar al-Ifta.

Dr. Shawqi Allam added that Muslims and Christians in Egypt are one fabric and that no one will succeed in creating a rift between them. He further called for focusing on commonalities in Islamic-Christian dialogue and on the issues that are important to the public and followers of the two faiths. He said that there are many common factors between the Heavenly religions and that the commonalities that unite us exceed the differences.

Dr. Shawqi stressed the necessity of transferring this dialogue from theory to joint projects that serve humanity as a whole. He said that Dar al-Ifta’s role in this respect is both international and domestic and that it is interested in intensifying societal dialogue.

Dr. Olav Fyske said that the delegation’s visit to Egypt was due to Egypt’s importance in the region. He added that the Council is interested in promoting co-operation between the World Council of Churches and the noble Azhar and Dar al-Ifta.