Dr. Aly was a pioneer of Christian-Islamic dialogue and cooperation; he was Vice-President of the Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue between the Monotheistic Religions and counselor for the Grand Imām of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Moḥammad Sayyid Al-Tantawi, and as president of the International Association for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Education of Peace.
In honor of the tireless efforts he’s made throughout his life until his death; The Centre of Christian-Muslim Understanding & Partnership organized a historic ceremony on Tuesday, January 30th, 2024 at the All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Zamalek launching the Dr. Aly Elsamman Award for Interfaith Dialogue & Cooperation.
The ceremony was attended by more than 170 guests, among them:
- H.E. Sheikh Dr. Ali Gomaa, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt.
- H.E. Sheikh Dr. Osama Elazhary, the Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs.
- H.E. Archbishop Nicolas Thévenin, Ambassador of the Vatican.
- Archbishop-Emeritus Dr. Mouneer Anis, Director of the Centre of Christian-Muslim Understanding & Partnership.
In addition to many more prominent state, public, diplomatic, religious, and civil society figures.
During the ceremony, the speakers praised the great efforts made by Dr. Samman to achieve peace between religions. He believed that “interfaith dialogue” is the most appropriate solution for reforming society. His belief played a major role in maintaining the stability and security of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
His wife Brigitte Elsamman recalled during her speech that Dr. Samman stood up against discrimination, be it religious, racial, or any other form during his life in Egypt and France. She elaborated that Dr. Aly dreamed that the seeds he planted would be a source of knowledge and inspiration for the younger generations, and he hoped that the religious education presented in school textbooks would be reformed and that they would be provided with precise innovative approaches to promote a culture of peace for a better understanding of religions.
The launch ceremony ended with a musical performance of 3 songs, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace inspired by the prayer of St Francis of Assisi, Ana ba’sha’ el-Bahr (I Adore The Sea), Ana Alby Dalealy (My Heart is My Guide).
The award will be given to the best literary, social, and cultural works and initiatives that promote Interfaith dialogue and cooperation, as follows:
- Written publications “e.g. books and articles” on the topic of intercultural/interfaith relations. Eligible submissions should not be less than 6,000 words.
- Artistic works devoted to intercultural/interfaith relationships “e.g. musical productions, films, plays, paintings, poetry, sculptures”.
- Initiative proposals that help to build bridges and peace between faith communities.
The first prize is 50,000 EGP, the second prize is 30,000 EGP, the third prize is 20,000 EGP.
The awards and their recipients shall be announced in a major ceremony on 30 January 2025. For more information, visit the official website.
