Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, received today, Tuesday, an official Somali delegation headed by Mohamed Hussein Robley, Prime Minister of the brotherly Federal Republic of Somalia, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education, the Somali Ambassador in Cairo, and a number of Somali officials. The Grand Imam welcomed His Excellency the Prime Minister of Somalia and the delegation accompanying him, and said that Al-Azhar, its Grand Imam, scholars and students are pleased with this visit to Al-Azhar headquarters, and that Al-Azhar has old and ancient relationships with Somalia.

The study auditoriums of Al-Azhar Mosque and Al-Azhar University testify to the superiority of Somali students scientifically and intellectually. In addition, Al-Azhar Global Academy for the Training of Imams continuously receives imams from Somalia to train them to confront extremist ideas and correct misconceptions.

Within the framework of the scientific, advocacy and social relations between Al-Azhar and Somalia, Al-Azhar Grand Imam decided to increase the number of grants for Somali students, and to send a relief convoy with a group of specialists to study the health map in Somalia in order to send another medical convoy and a third advocacy convoy. The Grand Imam stressed that Al-Azhar spares no effort to support our brothers in Somalia in every possible way for the sake of the security, stability and unity of this brotherly country, and that Al-Azhar currently hosts 873 male and female students from the State of Somalia; and there are 22 envoys from Al-Azhar in Somalia.

For their part, the Somali delegation, headed by the Prime Minister, expressed their great pleasure at meeting Al-Azhar Grand Imam. The Prime Minister said, “I cannot express how happy I am to meet Your Eminence, and we cannot forget the great role of Al-Azhar in Somalia even before the independence. In fact, most of our scholars were taught and educated by the sheikhs and scholars of Al-Azhar in its study auditoriums. Furthermore, the Somali people are looking forward to your visit, which will honor us; this day will become a feast for the Somalis. I hope that Your Eminence will give us this opportunity and put it on your upcoming visit schedule.” The Somali Prime Minister affirmed that Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif is the center of moderation promoting Islam in the world, being their major religious and scientific reference.

All our religious values and culture derive from Al-Azhar, and the Somali graduates of Al-Azhar take leading positions in the state and represent it abroad, and play an active role in serving their country. This historic meeting at Al-Azhar headquarters is observed and followed up with by all Somalis; and they are waiting for its positive fruits in strengthening relations and standing by Somalia.