‘Misguided’ European Imams Strongly Condemned Over Israel Visit Amid Gaza Genocide
Al-Azhar University, one of the most influential Islamic institutions in the Sunni world, denounced the delegation in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, calling the visit a betrayal of Islamic and humanitarian values.
The group of visitors reportedly included individuals from France, the UK, and Italy, who claimed they were delivering a "message of peace" and promoting "interfaith dialogue."
In its statement, Al-Azhar accused the group of ignoring “genocide, unprecedented aggression, massacres, and continuous killing of innocent people that the Palestinian people have endured for over twenty months.”
The statement went on to declare that the delegation “does not represent Islam or Muslims” and warned of individuals who “betray their religious and ethical values for personal or political gain.”
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Criticism also came from within Europe. The European Council of Imams distanced itself from the visitors, stating that the delegation had no affiliation with any credible Islamic institutions known among European Muslims.
“We were shocked by media outbursts of a visit by so-called imams to the occupying Israeli state and their meeting with its criminal figures,” the council said, describing the visit as “provocative” and aligned with “suspicious agendas.”
The delegation, which met Israeli president Isaac Herzog earlier this week, is expected to remain in occupied territories for several days, meeting with political, military, and religious leaders. The group also visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds.
The trip was organized by ELNET, a European NGO that promotes ties between Europe and Israel.
The visit comes as since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in October 2023, more than 57,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed. The Palestinian territory is also facing famine as the regime has blocked the entry of food. The occupation regime and the US launched an institute, titled Gaza Humanitarian Fund, with the purported aim of distributing food and supplies; however, according to the United Nations, some 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while waiting to receive packages at these centers.
Source: Agencies
