Pope Francis, with the aim of improving inter-faith relations between Muslims and Christians, will be attending the UAE Muslim Council of Elders.
The National reported that the members of the UAE's Muslim Council of Elders have been attending the meetings at Paris along with few municipality officials and the Vatican's lay Community of Sant'Egidio for East and West dialogue mission.
The chairman of UAE Council, Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi said that the participants had ways to come up in order to promote mutual understanding and interests for both Muslims and Christians. Thus, members of the Vatican group proposed to invite the pope to speak in the next round of talks which is expected to take place in Cairo, Egypt or Vatican. The date is yet to be announced.
"Now they have the desire to correct the image of Islam and Muslims in the Christian society," Dr Al Nuaimi said. "They started feeling they have a responsibility to work with us on a mutual project to achieve the desired goals."
On May 23, the pope welcomed Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the highest authority in Islam in the Vatican. Tayeb became the first Al Azhar Imam to visit the Vatican.
"Usually the pope does not receive any guest in his office on his own. He always has the cardinal and other officials seated on the side," said Dr Al Nuaimi.
However, he received Dr El Tayyeb alone, "and asked the official in charge of Vatican media for 20 years to wait outside".
The pope then awarded Dr. El Tayyeb with medal of peace.
"Look at this from a Christian's point of view. What does it mean when the pope awards an Al Azhar imam with this medal of peace?"
"And after that the Al Azhar chief officially announced that he will be holding an international peace conference with the pope - these things would not have happened two years ago."
President of Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah said that talks promote "deep research" in knowing how to achieve peace.
"It is not requested to give immediate results, but we hope the talks will become deeper to reach solutions," he said.
