Cairo – Dr. Ali Gomaa, former Grand Mufti and member of the Al-Azhar's Supreme Council of Scholars, mourned the death of Dr. Ali Al-Samman, President of the International Union for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Education (ADIC) for Europe and Egypt. Al-Samman died yesterday at the age of 88 in Paris. Sources close to Al-Samman's family told "Al-Watan" Newspaper that the body of late is set to arrive back from the French capital, Paris, for burial in Egypt on Saturday. On his Facebook page, Gomaa wrote on Friday: "May God have mercy on the soul of this late scholar and eminent thinker, Dr. Ali Al-Samman, who died at the age of 88 years in the French capital Paris." On his part, Dr Shawki Allam, current Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the late scholar. Allam said in a statement that the departure of the great thinker Dr. Ali Al-Samman is a great loss to Egypt. The late was a "great person and scholar" who contributed to many issues, especially in the field of fostering dialogue with the other, spreading the correct religious concepts and re-introducing the tolerance of Islam. The late who spent a whole lifetime in the service used to hold many seminars which avail a wide range of students of knowledge. May God sanctify his soul.
