Iman Chairman welcomes Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar's statement that it's unacceptable for Arab TV channels to label Shiites as unbelievers

The Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Dr. Mohammad Al-Tayyib, has criticised some Arab satellite television channels for sowing the seeds of dissent between Sunnis and Shiites in the Islamic World. He said it was unacceptable for them to deem Shiites as unbelievers. He blamed the current strife on "some Islamic states and militants."

Sheikh Al-Tayyib's comments were made in an interview with Lebanese journalist Jihad Al-Zein, which was published by the Beirut based, An-Nahar newspaper, on 15 October, 2010. Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency (MENA) and other public and private media also reported long excerpts from the interview.

Asserting his outright rejection of deeming the Shiites as unbelievers by such satellite channels, Sheikh Al-Tayyib said, “This is unacceptable and we cannot find a justification, neither in the Koran, nor in the Sunna, nor in Islam. We pray behind the Shiites as they do not have a Koran of their own, contrary to the circulating rumours, otherwise orientalists would not have disregarded the issue. Indeed, this would have been a valuable catch for them and I have already conducted research in this regard. None of the Sunnis who have interpreted the Koran, starting with Al-Tabari to date, has said that the Shiites have a Koran of their own.”

He added saying, “No disagreement between a Sunni and a Shiite results in identifying the latter as a kafir, an unbeliever. This is rather a political exploitation of such differences, as was the case between the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. All the differences between us and them boil down to the Imam issue. For us Sunnis, the Imam is chosen and the Prophet, God's praise and peace be upon him, left it to Muslims to choose their Imams and Caliphs, while they say that the Prophet, God's praise and peace be upon him, appointed Imam Ali, may God honor him, as guardian. If I considered that our Master Ali deserves the Caliphate, there would be no problem; and if I considered that the Umma/Islamic community chose our Master Abu Bakr for deserving it, this would pose no problem. However, the problem has to do with exploitation and with the insults thrown at Abu Bakr and Al-Bukhari. The problem has to do with the prejudiced exploitation of differences aimed at shattering the unity of the Islamic nation.”

In an answer to another question Sheikh Al-Tayyib said, “If I go to Iraq, I will visit An-Najaf. The primary duty to be carried out by Al-Azhar is to preserve the unity of the Islamic community and to rally Muslims around a single vision while allowing for different interpretations. I am also ready to go to any place, and particularly An-Najaf, where I can bring Muslims together.”

He added saying, “I hope that I can make my visit following the settlement of the cabinet formation as it is an issue that does harm to us. I told the Iraqi delegation that visited me lately (a joint delegation of the Sunni and Shiite endowments) that I would pay them a visit, and that I am the father of both Sunnis and Shiites, on condition that my visit would not be interpreted as being more advantageous to one party than it is to the other.”

Commenting on the statements by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Chairman of Iman, Ribal Al-Assad said:

"I welcome the comments made by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Dr. Mohammad Al-Tayyib. He rightly exposes and challenges the behaviour of those who seek to create divisions between Muslims for political purposes. It is unacceptable for Arab TV channels from all sides to label fellow Muslims as unbelievers. Muslims have more that unites them than divides them because we believe in one book, the Koran. There is a pressing need for greater Intra-Islamic dialogue and the Iman Foundation looks forward to playing its part in helping to facilitate it."