Prominent Muslim scholar calls for Sunni-Shia unity

In a joint meeting with Indonesian Muslim clergymen in Jakarta, President of Al-Azhar University, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said Sunni and Shia are ” the two wings of Islam”, and that efforts must be exerted to bring them much closer.

Sheikh Al-Tayeb invited everyone to return to the true Islamic teachings which call on mercy, tolerance, and cast off extremism.

“It is not acceptable to accuse Shiites of being beyond Islam; they have more similarities with Sunnis than differences. Enemies must not allowed to sow sedition between the two parties”, Sheikh Al-Tayeb explained.

He also held “enemies of the Islam” responsible for the bloody wars in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.