Egypt: PM meets members of Bohra community at Al-Hakim mosque

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited historic 11th century Al-Hakim mosque in Cairo. It is Egypt’s fourth oldest mosque. The prime minister was received at the mosque by Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister Mostafa Waziri. The prime minister also met the Bohra community members, who are actively involved in the upkeep of this Fatimid-era Shia mosque and highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between India and Egypt, officials informed. Bohras trace their origin to the Fatimids. Modi has a long-standing relationship with the Dawoodi Bohras since the time when he was Gujarat chief minister. Shujauddin Shabbir Tambawala, one of the members of the Dawoodi Bohra community, was present when Modi visited the mosque.

He said on Sunday, “It is a historic day for us as PM Modi came here today and interacted with us. He also inquired about the well-being of our Bohra community and we felt like a family when he interacted with us.”

On Saturday, Modi and Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawky Ibrahim Allam held wide-ranging discussions in Cairo on religious harmony and countering extremism. The Grand Mufti appreciated the prime minister’s leadership in fostering inclusivity and pluralism. Discussions also focused on issues related to social and religious harmony and countering extremism and radicalisation, officials said. The prime minister conveyed to the Grand Mufti that India would set up a Centre of Excellence in IT at the Dar-al-Ifta under the Ministry of Social Justice of Egypt. During his visit to India in May, Allam had praised the country for communal harmony and providing equal rights to people of diverse faiths.


He had then stated: “India has been the country that provides equal rights to each and every one of its citizens regardless of their linguistic, religious or ethnic backgrounds. Each one enjoys full citizenship and they are well integrated into the fabric of Indian culture and civilization.”