To His Eminence Prof. Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and
The President of the Muslim Council of Elders

Your Eminence,

It is with deep sorrow that we have followed the news of the terrorist attack against the Bir al Abd Mosque in the Sinai region.

The World Council of Churches and its constituency express our profound condolences to Your Eminence to the families of the victims, to the wounded, and to the people of Egypt. We pray that our Lord grants them comfort and healing.

We condemn strongly this tragic attack against our Muslim brothers during prayer time, in a place of worship dedicated to peace and devotion. Such brutal attacks perpetrated against all people of faiths, against Mosques and Churches, show that violence cannot be related to any religion, on the contrary, it aims at opposing the message of love and tolerance held by all religions. We believe that evil cannot prevail over God’s light and goodness.

We appeal to President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, to religious leaders and to governments across the region to ensure security in the face of violence and to guarantee justice for all people.

We reiterate our support to Al Azhar in its efforts countering the extremist ideology. Combatting terrorism and extremism in the Middle East is our shared responsibility. We remain committed to our collaboration and common work for peace and justice in the world.

Your Eminence, I pray with you during this month of observance of al Mawlid al Nabawi that our Lord brings peace and serenity to all Muslims and to the people of Egypt and of the Middle East.

Your brother in humanity,
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General Secretary