Seminar at Rabat International Book Fair Highlights the Muslim Council of Elders’ Efforts in Promoting Intra-Islamic Dialogue
Dr. Mohamed Gamal: The Muslim Council of Elders Is Making Tireless Efforts to Heal the Rift Within the Muslim Ummah
Dr. Elias Mohamed Belka: Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders Are Leading Groundbreaking Initiatives to Unite the Ummah
As part of its cultural program at the 30th edition of the Rabat International Book Fair, the Muslim Council of Elders hosted its second cultural seminar, titled “The Problem of the Ummah’s Division into Sunnis and Shiites.” The session was moderated by Dr. Mohamed Gamal, a researcher at the Heritage Revival Office of Al-Azhar, and featured a presentation by Dr. Elias Mohamed Belka, Professor at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez and Director of Strategic Studies at the Al Hokama Center for Peace Research.
Opening the session, Dr. Mohamed Gamal emphasized that the Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, is undertaking tireless efforts to mend the divisions within the Islamic nation. He highlighted the Grand Imam’s 2022 call for intra-Islamic dialogue aimed at rejecting sectarian strife and conflict and reuniting the diverse schools of thought within Islam. These efforts culminated in the first edition of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference, held in February this year in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the theme “One Ummah… One Shared Destiny.” A major outcome of the conference was the Call of the People of the Qibla—a comprehensive charter for unity and reconciliation within the Ummah.
Dr. Elias Mohamed Belka, Professor at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez and Director of Strategic Studies at the Al Hokama Center for Peace Research, commended the efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders, led by His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, in bridging the divide across the Islamic world. He noted that the Al Hokama Center has given significant attention to the issue of sectarian division, and recently published a book titled “The Problem of the Ummah’s Division into Sunnis and Shiites: Origins and Solutions.”
He further noted that Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders, fully aware of the dangers posed by internal conflict, have established a vital initiative to heal the rift. Under the leadership of the Grand Imam, they are spearheading groundbreaking efforts such as organizing the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference in Bahrain and launching the Call for the People of Qiblah: One Ummah… One Shared Destiny.
At the Rabat International Book Fair, the Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion showcases over 250 diverse intellectual and cultural publications, including several of Al Hokama Publishing’s latest 2025 releases addressing pressing contemporary issues. The pavilion is also hosting a wide range of cultural and intellectual activities, featuring prominent scholars, thinkers, writers, academics, and university professors. These efforts reflect the Council’s vision and mission to promote peace and foster the values of dialogue, tolerance, and human coexistence. The Council’s pavilion is located at Stand D47 in the Souissi district of Rabat, the capital of Morocco.