His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb received Mr. Luqman Hakim Saifuddin, Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, and his accompanying delegation during the latter’s visit to Cairo. His Eminence the Grand Imam maintained that Al-Azhar is keen to follow up on its affiliate Indonesian students and students of other nationalities across the Muslim world. Accordingly, Al-Azhar constantly communicates with them through International Students’ Parliament and international students’ unions, to identify their needs. The Grand Imam also asserted Al-Azhar’s keenness to ensure that all students adhere to Al-Azhar’s moderate approach and that they are immune against any ideas or dogmas that contradict such moderate approach. According to the Grand Imam, this approach has sustained peace and cohesion in Muslim societies for more than a thousand years. 

For his part, the Indonesian Minister extended thanks to the Grand Imam for the substantial support offered by Al-Azhar to its Indonesian students, affirming that Al-Azhar represents the main referential authority for Muslims all over the world through its curricula that preserve the purity of Islamic teachings, far from radicalism and extremism. He expressed his pleasure with the efforts made by Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif under the leadership of the Grand Imam towards establishing world peace.

Then, Mr. Saifuddin handed over to the Grand Imam four residential buildings assigned for Indonesian students registered in Al-Azhar and maintained that the buildings shall be under full supervision of Al-Azhar. He also affirmed the Indonesian government and people’s complete trust in Al-Azhar in a way that encourages them to dispatch Indonesian students to register in Al-Azhar; “They trust Al-Azhar’s ability to maintain the students’ optimum academic and intellectual performance,” maintained Ambassador Saifuddin.