Al Azhar bid to tackle extremism right step

The comprehensive plan unveiled by Al Azhar, one of Islam’s oldest institutes, to counter the threat of extremist ideologies is very welcome. It comes at a crucial time when militant extremist groups in the region are misusing Islam for their violent goals.

The task of articulating Islam’s true message of peace and moderation is an urgent imperative that deserves support. Al Azhar has a powerful appeal in that it is one of the oldest learning institutes in the world and the chief centre for Arabic literature and Islamic studies. The institute has also been very vocal in calling for the Muslim nation to recover its unity and fight the tide of religious extremism and sectarianism. Al Azhar’s Grand Imam Ahmad Al Tayeb has said previously that “the only hope for the Muslim nation … is to tackle in our schools and universities this tendency to accuse Muslims of being unbelievers” and has appealed for reconciliation across different sects within Islam.

During a meeting with UAE media delegation on Wednesday, Al Tayeb said that the new plans for the 1,000-year-old institute include revising all curriculums in Al Azhar, from elementary to secondary school levels, to promote Islam’s real values and deter extremist tendencies, and issue a historic document on modernising the religious discourse. He also revealed the establishment of a state of the art library, which will be built through funding from the UAE, to make Al Azhar “a real global modern centre of learning”.

This is but one of several projects undertaken by the UAE to boost the role of Al Azhar. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the UAE-Egypt Liaison Office, said the UAE leadership’s directives are focused on supporting academic and social institutions in Egypt. We stand behind this directive and echo the message brought forth by Al Tayeb. The Middle East is going through a very dangerous period where extremists are promoting hate and sectarian thinking among our youth. This can only be beaten through education and enlightenment.