Salehi Meets Al-Azhar Sheikh: Islamic Unity Major Concern

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi considered Thursday that separating between Shiites and Sunnis is a conspiracy and sedition scheme plotted by enemies of Islam.

During his meeting with Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Salehi emphasized the importance of rejecting conflicts and separation between Muslims, and rather highlighting the common points between them.

In the meeting, which was part of a series of meetings that Salehi held in his visit to Cairo, the Iranian FM said that “the enemies have tried several times in the past few years to create conflicts between Muslims.”

Salehi further indicated that he had agreed with Al-Azhar sheikh to “prepare people to be wary of the satellite channels that stir up incitements,” without naming them.

As the Iranian official assured he will pass on Al-Azhar sheikh’s instructions to Iran, he invited Al-Tayyeb to visit the Islamic Republic, meet with Iranian scholars, and witness the peaceful coexistence between Shiites and Sunnis in the country.

On this topic, Salehi assured earlier Thursday in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart that “sectarian talks don’t serve the region’s benefits.”

“If being a Sunni means following Prophet Mohammad’s Sunnah, than all the Iranian people are Sunnis; and if being a Shiite means loving the prophet and his household, than I believe that all the Egyptian people are Shiites,” Salehi said.

For his part, Al-Tayyeb highlighted the efforts Al-Azhar is exerting to bridge the gap between Islamic sects, stressing that the Islamic university is highly concerned with Islamic unity.

Al-Azhar sheikh referred to the prophet household’s important status in the Sunni sect, adding that “conflicts and separations are part of a conspiracy fabricated by enemies of Islam, and we must not permit such movements to achieve their goals.”