Khaberni - Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, discussed with the Chief of the Pakistan Army's General Staff, Marshal Asim Munir, ways to enhance cooperation between Al-Azhar and Pakistan.
Sheikh of Al-Azhar expressed his pride in the special relationship that links Al-Azhar with Pakistan, describing it as "a dear country to the hearts of Muslims" and mentioned the cherished memories he holds from the year he spent as a professor at the University of Islamabad, where he found the Pakistani people "friendly, strong, and productive, striving to enhance their confidence in their products and local industries."
He explained that Al-Azhar currently hosts 254 Pakistani students studying at various educational levels, including 162 students on full scholarships provided by Al-Azhar to the children of Pakistan, and confirmed that the institution allocates 30 new scholarships annually, and is prepared to increase this number to meet the needs of the Pakistani people and to contribute to the establishment of societal peace and the spread of a culture of positive coexistence and acceptance of others.
Sheikh of Al-Azhar also confirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to establish a center for teaching the Arabic language in Pakistan; to serve its children in learning the language of the Quran, in addition to welcoming new delegations of Pakistani Imams for training at the Al-Azhar’s International Academy for the Training of Imams and Preachers, to hone their skills in refuting arguments used by extremist groups to distort the image of Islam.
In the context of discussing the fight against extremist ideology, the Grand Imam emphasized that Al-Azhar "spares no effort" in fighting this ideology, which uses advanced technological means to infiltrate the privacies of Muslim youth in their homes, without supervision.
He pointed to the significant role played by Muslim scholars and thinkers in revealing the deviations of terrorist groups and their misinterpretation of religious texts, both the Quranic and prophetic, affirming that the spread of this extremist thinking does not happen in a vacuum, but with the support of financed global entities and countries that aim to weaken the Islamic body, distract it from its tasks of advancement and production, and keep it from achieving its rightful place in the new global order.
Futhermore, he touched on the suffering of the Islamic world from division and fragmentation, pointing to the internal conflicts that plague many Muslim countries, and citing the prophetic narration: "When two Muslims meet with their swords, both the killer and the killed are in the hellfire."
He noted that the parties to these conflicts "memorize this narration by heart, but have no room to implement it because of the predominance of political considerations and the prioritization of narrow interests over the supreme interests represented in unifying the Ummah and achieving Islamic solidarity."
Sheikh of Al-Azhar also mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad prioritized maintaining societal peace after his migration to Medina, where he faced a fragmented and conflicted society among Jews, polytheists, and supporters. One of his first actions was fraternal bonding between the migrants and the supporters, and establishing "the Constitution of Medina" which unified Muslims and others, achieving the stability essential for building a strong and prosperous society.
For his part, Marshal Asim Munir expressed his happiness with meeting the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, and noted the great appreciation for his efforts in supporting the issues of the Islamic nation and correcting the image of Islam. He also commended the leading role of Al-Azhar in spreading the values of brotherhood and coexistence, pointing out that the Islamic world faces serious challenges, including the spread of extremist groups that distort texts to justify violence and tarnish the benevolence of Islam, asserting that "Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace."
The Chief of the Army Staff emphasized his country's keenness to benefit from Al-Azhar's expertise in combating extremist thinking, especially through training Pakistani Imams in the Al-Azhar Global Academy, appreciating Sheikh of Al-Azhar's suggestion to increase scholarships and establish an Arabic language teaching center in Pakistan.
At the end of the meeting, Marshal Asim Munir extended a formal invitation to the Grand Imam to visit Pakistan, noting that the Pakistani people "adore the Sheikh of Al-Azhar and are eagerly awaiting his visit." The Grand Imam welcomed the invitation, saying: "I love to visit Pakistan, it is a country dear to my heart, and I have many cherished memories that I would like to relive when I visit again."
