Reference to Shia imams in Sunni religious texts is a manifestation of Islamic proximity.

Hujjat-ul-Islam Hamid Shahriari, secretary general of World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought paid visit to jurisprudents in the Iranian holy city of Qom detailing his views on ways to boost solidarity among Muslims, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
 
The cleric visited Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, top Shia jurisprudent his tour of the prominent religious figures in Qom and proposed publication of books on commonalities of Shia and Sunni Muslims and providing both religious communities with the source.
 
Ayatollah Sobhani stressed, ” Reference to Shia imams in Sunni religious texts is a manifestation of Islamic proximity.”
 
He also proposed resumption of Al-Taqrib periodical as another sources for both Shias and Sunnis as a way to bring them closer to each other.
 
Senior scholar called on some dispersed Muslim rulers calling them to join each other for a stronger Islamic nation.
 
He underlined importance of Islamic proximity which rejects merging or submission of Shia and Sunni in each other but to converge them based on their commonalities.