Al-Azhar's Imam calls on Muslims in the Middle East to ‘embrace’ Christians

ABU DHABI: Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque and university, called on Muslims in the Middle East to "embrace" local Christian communities.

He addressed Muslims saying: "Continue to embrace your brothers the Christian citizens everywhere, for they are our partners in our nation," he said during a televised speech from a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, also attended by Pope Francis.

Then he addressed Christians saying: "You are part of this nation. You are citizens, you are not a minority.. You are citizens with full rights and responsibilities." Sheikh Tayeb also called on Muslims in the west to integrate in their host nations and respect local laws.

Al-Azhar hosted Pope Francis in 2017 to improve relations between Catholics and Muslims.