Prince Charles urges students to ‘remember what we have in common’ in Egyptian mosque visit
The Prince, visiting the Al Alzar mosque in Cairo, told students the “most important thing” is to focus on the shared beliefs across faiths.
“We share so much,” he said.
The Prince and Duchess of Cornwall visited the Al Azhar Mosque shortly after landing in Cairo this morning, viewing the spectacular architecture and posing for a photograph in the central courtyard.
They met the Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, accompanied by the Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, Dr Samy Fawzy. After the duchess departed to begin her own programme in Cairo, the prince attended an interfaith reception in closed Abassa room of the mosque.
There, he was said to be in “deep conversation” with the Grand Imam, surrounded by their entourages. The leaders were later joined by six Al-Azhar scholars, who told the Prince about their studies in English, religion and climate change.
The British Council has been running an Al-Azhar UK Academic Scholarship scheme since 2015.
It aims to promote mutual understanding among a new generation of Muslim and non-Muslim scholars, and allows students to study for degrees in Islamic studies at British universities before returning to Al-Azhar University to work as faculty members.
As patron of the scheme, the prince hosted six students from the programme at Clarence House in March 2018, with two of them – Mariam Shehata and Muhammed Al-Marakby – joining him on Thursday in Cairo.
He asked them about their studies, and whether they had noticed a “growing awareness” from people about the importance of talking about climate change.
The prince went on to meet groups of students learning English at the mosque, with young men and women arranged in small groups to speak to him.
“The most important thing is to emphasise what we have in common not what divides us,” the Prince told one group of women.
of women.
/ REUTERS
“Do remember that. We share so much.”
He asked them of their studies: “Have you managed through the worst of the pandemic? Did you do it all online?”
Stopping to talk to a second group, he wondered: “Are you actually able to sit down with representatives from other faiths for conversation? Learning a bit from each other?
“There must be a lot of people your age who want to do this sort of course with the British Council.”
Of learning languages, he added: “It’s practising isn’t it? That’s what’s so difficult.
“My Arabic needs practice.”
Founded in AD 970, the mosque is one of Cairo’s earliest and considered an architectural wonder.
Its university is the second-oldest educational institution in the world, and is a centre of Islamic learning.
The royal couple last visited Al-Azhar in 2006, when the Prince of Wales received an honorary doctorate from Al-Azhar University, which is considered the foremost Islamic institution in the Sunni Muslim world.
Diana, Princess of Wales, made a visit to the mosque in 1992 as part of a tour to Egypt.
SOURCE: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/prince-charles-camilla-visit-egyptian-mosque-tour-b966976.html