Al-Azhar Sheikh accepts invitation to visit Kurdistan Region

CAIRO, Egypt — CAIRO — Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar, on Tuesday received Kurdistan Region Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs Beshtiwan Sadiq and an accompanying delegation at his office in Cairo, the regional ministry said in a statement. Al-Tayeb said the Kurdish people have a history filled with important service to Islam and humanity, according to the statement. He accepted a visit invitation delivered on behalf of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and expressed his wish to travel to the region as soon as possible. The two sides emphasized deep historical ties between them and pointed to harmony among religious and ethnic communities in the Kurdistan Region as a model. Sadiq presented al-Tayeb with a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between Al-Azhar and the Kurdistan Endowments Ministry, which the sheikh described as an important and valuable step. The meeting also reviewed plans for a "Grand Barzani Mosque" to be built in Erbil. At the end of the talks, Sadiq presented al-Tayeb with a book on religious coexistence in the Kurdistan Region, while the sheikh gave the visiting minister a robe of honor in recognition of the ministry's efforts.