Today, Thursday, at the Headquarters of Al-Azha, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, received Mr. Saleh Mutluşen, the Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, to discuss ways to boost cooperation between Al-Azhar and Turkey and to increase Al-Azhar scholarships provided to Turkish students.
HE Grand Imam At-Tayyeb said that Al-Azhar seeks to strengthen its relations with all countries of the Muslim world by receiving students Turkish students and dispatching Azhari scholars to Turkey, noting that more than 350 Turkish students are enrolled in Al-Azhar, at various educational levels. He added that Al-Azhar offers 8 annual scholarships to Turkish students, allowing them to enroll in the prestigious Al-Azhar University and Al-Azhar institutes. He also expressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to increase scholarships in a way that fulfills the aspirations of Turkish students to join Al-Azhar and acquire knowledge through its authentic academic sources. This, according to the Grand Imam, is meant to secure all means of comfort to ensure proper academic qualification for those students.
The Grand Imam further stressed that the Azhari curricula constitute the peace and security valve for all countries of the Arab and Muslim world, and its sustainability for more than a thousand years confirms its ability to confront extremism and negligence, and its flexibility in dealing with contemporary and emerging issues. He underscored that the Azhari curricula carefully present secular and religious sciences, not only to Muslims but to the whole world. For him, the Azhari education wins the trust of Muslims around the world because it is non-politicized and is not subject to any agendas. He thus warned of the dangerous attempts by some countries to exclude or marginalize the Azhari curricula and of the respective consequences, including the spread of the ills of extremism, hatred, and sectarian fanaticism.
HE Grand Imam At-Tayyeb also confirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to establish an Arabic language center in Turkey and to dispatch Azhari scholars to work there in the service of Turkish learners of Arabic and the Noble Qur’an. He also affirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to host Turkish Imams and train them at Al-Azhar International Academy for the Training of Imams and Preachers, and to tailor a curriculum to the needs and aspirations of the Turkish society.
For his part, Mr. Mutluşen expressed his pleasure at meeting the Grand Imam and at being in Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, which is “an academic edifice that wins the trust and respect of Muslims around the world”. He underscored his country’s endeavor to strengthen relations with Al-Azhar, by holding joint conferences and meetings between Al-Azhar and Turkish institutions, to exchange ideas and discuss the key challenges facing our Muslim world. This, Mr. Mutluşen added, would help in crystallizing visions and solutions to confront and overcome such challenges. He thus hoped that this meeting with the Grand Imam will result in many joint Da’wah and educational projects and initiatives between Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and Turkey, represented by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Mr. Motluşan also welcomed Al-Azhar’s willingness to increase the number of scholarships offered to Turkish students, a decision which – according to him - comes in line with Turkey’s desire to increase the number of Turkish students enrolled in Al-Azhar, and with the efforts of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments in Turkey to establish permanent accommodation for these students to ensure their full devotion to knowledge acquisition and their having a proper environment for excellence and diligence.
Mr. Motluşan conveyed the greetings of Dr. Ali Arbash, the Turkish President of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and his desire to visit the Grand Imam as soon as possible. On the other hand, Grand Imam At-Tayyeb welcomingly received Dr. Arbash’s intended visit and the desire to strengthen the relationship between Al-Azhar and the Turkish Da’wah and education ministries and bodies.
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