In a statement on Wednesday, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb strongly condemned the violence, killing, displacement and systematic genocide of Muslims in Central Africa, and called on the international community to stop this blatant aggression.
“Muslims there were forced to leave their homes and go to the northern part of the country or to neighboring countries only to live in catastrophic and inhumane conditions,” he said.
“It is a shame on all promoters of human rights and justice to watch this and not move,” he said, adding that Christians there suffer the same.
“I call on governmental and non-governmental organizations all over the world to support the relief mission that the Al-Azhar is organizing,” he said.
The security situation has deteriorated in Central Africa since the coup led by former Interim President Michael Djotodia and the alliance of Seleka overthrew the regime of former President Francois Bozize in March 2013.
However, African pressure led to Djotodia’s resignation in January 2014.
Under his rule, he accused his allies of the Seleka, led by Muslims, of committing brutal actions against the Christian residents, which led to forming militias by the Christian villagers that work against the Seleka.
Since Djotodia’s resignation, the country has been swept by sectarian violence by the Christian militias against the Seleka and peaceful civilians.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
