President El-Sisi: Al-Azhar Is a Prestigious Religious Institution That Has Fulfilled Its Mission for More Than 1,000 Years
President El-Sisi: Egypt Takes Pride in Malaysian Students at Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and Continues to Support Its Message of Moderation and Tolerance
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s pride in Malaysian students studying at al-Azhar ash-Sharif and in all students of knowledge who come to Egypt in pursuit of learning. He highlighted al-Azhar’s historic role in spreading the teachings of moderate Islam and its readiness to welcome more preachers and scholars and prepare them to disseminate the values of moderation.
During his remarks at the joint press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President el-Sisi explained that al-Azhar ash-Sharif is a distinguished religious institution that has fulfilled this role for more than a thousand years and welcomes male and female students from around the world. He affirmed Egypt’s readiness to receive larger numbers of preachers and scholars engaged in Islamic Dawah.
For his part, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised al-Azhar ash-Sharif’s scholarly and religious Dawah roles, as well as the efforts of His Eminence Prof. Ahmad at-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar ash-Sharif, to promote Egyptian-Malaysian cooperation in the fields of religious education and the Arabic language. He emphasized that Egypt and al-Azhar have played a pivotal role over the centuries in educating successive generations of Malaysian students. He expressed his gratitude to His Eminence the Grand Imam for inaugurating al-Azhar Center for Arabic Language Education during his recent visit to Malaysia. He stressed his country’s keenness to continue coordinating with al-Azhar, expand areas of educational and academic partnership, and exchange expertise in religious education.
These statements underscore al-Azhar ash-Sharif’s pivotal role in Egyptian-Malaysian relations, its longstanding contribution to educating students from around the world, its role in preparing scholars and preachers, its commitment to upholding the principles of moderation and balance, and its efforts to promote cultural exchange among peoples.
