Al-Azhar Clerics Oppose Ground Zero Mosque; Al-Aqsa Research Academy Member Dr. Abd Al-Mu’ti Bayumi: Mosque Is a ‘Zionist Plot’ That Could Link Islam to 9/11
In an extensive interview with Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate chairman Makram Muhammad Ahmad, Al-Azhar Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, who has been in office since March 2010, gave his views on an array of important topics, including the role of Al-Azhar as an institution and the extent of its dependence on the Egyptian regime, Islam’s relations with Judaism and Christianity, and the Palestinian issue.
Al-Tayyeb acknowledged in the interview that Al-Azhar’s status had declined with the rise of extremist factions, and explained that the decline had begun during the socialist era when the Egyptian regime had repressed religion, allowing Wahhabism to fill the resulting void. He added that Al-Azhar intended to produce television programs aimed at young people in which its clerics would respond to various common extremist ideas.
He noted that although the operation of every country’s religious establishment was subject to regime policy, Al-Azhar enjoyed relative freedom and was not obligated to condone everything the government did. He also said he would not be opposed to choosing Al-Azhar sheikhs via internal elections instead of by the current method of presidential appointment.
Al-Tayyeb said that he rejected depictions of Islam as a religion of the sword, pointing out that Muslims were only allowed to take up the sword in self defense. He criticized the interfaith dialogue talks, claiming that they could not change how a person viewed another’s religion, or how decision-makers approached the Palestinian issue, or the West’s support of Israel. Accusing the West of insincerity in its efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, he said that it persistently created centers of tension in order to increase demand for the weapons it manufactures.
Also in the interview, the sheikh emphasized the importance of a unified Arab stance in resolving the Palestinian issue, saying that expecting the Jews to give the Palestinians and Arabs their rights on a silver platter was a dream and that the Palestinians must actualize their legitimate right to resist occupation. In contrast to his predecessor Dr. Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, Al-Tayyeb said that he would not meet with rabbis or shake the hand of the Israeli president, because he opposed normalization with Israel until it gave the Palestinians their rights.