Al-Azhar's Imam calls on Muslims in the Middle East to 'embrace' Christians

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar mosque and university, called on Muslims in the Middle East to "embrace" local Christian communities.

"You are part of this nation... You are not minorities," he said during a televised speech from a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, also attended by Pope Francis.

He also called on Muslims in the west to integrate in their host nations and respect local laws.

(Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Writing by Tuqa Khalid; Editing by Toby Chopra)