Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 25: The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday conferred the country’s highest state honour “Order of the Nile” award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Instituted in 1915, the ‘Order of the Nile’ is conferred upon Heads of states, Crown Princes, and Vice-Presidents who offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services.
The ‘Order of the Nile’ is a pure gold collar consisting of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols. The first unit resembles the idea of protecting the state against the evils, the second one resembles prosperity and happiness brought by the Nile and the third one refers to wealth and endurance.
The three units are connected to one another by a circular gold flower decorated with turquoise and ruby. Hanging from the collar is a hexagonal pendant decorated with flowers of the Pharaonic style, and turquoise and ruby gems.
In the middle of the pendant, there is a protruding symbol representing the Nile that brings together the North (represented by the Papyrus) and the South (represented by the Lotus). This is the 13th such highest state honour that various countries across the world have conferred upon PM Modi.
Modi also discussed Egypt-India ties as well as issues related to promoting social harmony and countering extremism and radicalisation with the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawky Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam.
The Prime Minister on his first state visit to Egypt, apprised the Grand Mufti that India would set up a Centre of Excellence in IT at the Dar-al-Ifta – an Egyptian advisory body for Islamic legal research — under the Ministry of Social Justice of Egypt.
The Grand Mufti also appreciated the Prime Minister’s leadership in fostering inclusivity and pluralism, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release on the meeting. The Grand Mufti fondly recalled his recent visit to India and highlighted the strong cultural and people-to-people relations between India and Egypt.
Discussions also focused on issues related to social and religious harmony in society and countering extremism and radicalisation, the press release said. “I was honoured to meet the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawky Ibrahim Allam. We had rich discussions on the relations between India and Egypt, especially the cultural and people-to-people ties,” Modi tweeted after his meeting.
“I was honoured to meet Prime Minister Modi. It was a very nice and interesting meeting. In fact, he reflects a wise leadership for a big country like India,” the Grand Mufti said. He said he had earlier met Modi at one of the Sufi conferences in Delhi.
“Between the two meetings, I have noticed that there is a great development in India. It reflects that he is continuously working in India. It also reflects the wise policies being adopted by Prime Minister Modi bringing co-existence between various factions in India,” he said.
“At the religious level, we have strong cooperation between us and India and we are looking forward to further enhancing and deepening this cooperation,” the Grand Mufti said.
The Grand Mufti had visited India last month at the invitation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. In an article written ahead of his visit to India, the Grand Mufti referred to statements by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need for cooperation and bridge-building in a challenging world.
Though such overtures have been welcomed by many, he said practical steps were needed to turn such good wishes into a sustained relationship of mutual trust and respect. “This is the message I wish to deliver on behalf of the Muslim world in India this week,” he had written.
In 2013, Dr Allam became the first elected Grand Mufti of Egypt. He holds the office of the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide – an umbrella organisation that was created to coordinate among more than 100 fatwa authorities globally.
Earlier in the day, Modi visited Egypt’s historic 11th century al-Hakim Mosque and the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Cemetery in Cairo. Modi also held talks with the Egyptian President, who had invited him to visit the nation. This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt in 26 years. El-Sisi is also scheduled to travel to India in September for the G-20 Summit where Egypt has been invited as a special guest.
At the Imam al-Hakim bi Amr Allah Mosque in the heart of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, the Prime Minister was seen appreciating the intricate carved inscriptions on the walls and doorways of the mosque. Over a thousand years old, al-Hakim is the fourth oldest mosque in Cairo and the second Fatimid mosque to be built in the city. The mosque covers an area of 13,560 square metres, with the iconic central courtyard occupying 5,000 square metres.
The mosque was rebuilt with the help of India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. The community originated from the Fatimids. They renovated the mosque from 1970 onwards and have been maintaining it since then.
“The Prime Minister has a very close attachment to the Bohra community who have also been in Gujarat for many years,” India’s Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte said.
“The Prime Minister has a very close attachment to the Bohra community who have also been in Gujarat for many years and it will be an occasion for him to again visit a very important religious site for the Bohra community,” Gupte said. The historic Mosque has been named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the 16th Fatimid caliph and is an important religious and cultural site for the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims are a sect of followers of Islam who adhere to the Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi school of thought. They are known to have originated from Egypt and later shifted to Yemen, before establishing a presence in India in the 11th century. Modi has a long-standing and warm relationship with the Dawoodi Bohras even before he became Prime Minister.
At the Heliopolis War Cemetry, PM Modi paid tributes to the Indian soldiers who died during the First World War. The memorial commemorates nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting in Egypt and Palestine in the First World War.