Cairo: The grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, Ahmad al-Tayyib, on Monday mourned the death of Pope Francis, describing him as “a high-level humanitarian icon, who spared no effort to defend the causes of the weakest and support dialogue between different religions and cultures”.
According to Ansa News Agency, the imam, one of Islam’s most senior figures, recalled Pope Francis’ desire to consolidate relations with Al-Azhar and the Islamic world. This was evident through the pope’s visits to numerous Islamic and Arab countries and his positions based on equity and humanity. The grand imam highlighted the pope’s stance on issues such as the “aggression in Gaza” and the fight against hateful Islamophobia.
