The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur, Somali Health Minister, during her visit to Cairo. At the beginning of the meeting, His Eminence welcomed the Minister, praising the presence of a woman at the head of a vital ministry in Somalia. Arab and African women have capabilities that qualify them to participate in building their societies, and disrupting these capabilities deprives the Arab world of half of its power that contributes to progress and development.

The Grand Imam explained that the support that Al-Azhar provides to Somalia comes from its responsibility towards Muslims around the world. HE expressed Al-Azhar’s readiness to multiply this support, by increasing the number of scholarships offered to Somali students at Al-Azhar, including its scientific colleges in addition to the possibility of training Somali doctors, the measure which will be reflected on the level of health services in Somalia.

Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur, for her part, expressed her country's deep gratitude to Al-Azhar for the medical and relief aid, and the support it gives to Somali students studying at Al-Azhar, stressing that Somalia will not forget Al-Azhar’s support in times of adversity.

She added that the stances of the Grand Imam in support of Arab women helped them contribute to the advancement of their societies. The Minister also expressed her country's great appreciation for Al-Azhar's efforts to confront extremism and terrorism in Africa and the world, noting that Al-Azhar's rejection of terrorist acts helped Somalia overcome its crises and raised societal awareness of terrorism.