Grand Imam: Al-Azhar methodology instills intellectual pluralism in its students.

Al-Azhar alumni worldwide are Egypt’s soft power.

New Ambassodors: Al-Azhar is the beating heart of true Islam and a pillar of Egyptian diplomacy.

We have seen firsthand the great importance of Al-Azhar’s standing worldwide.

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyeb, received today, Wednesday, a delegation of newly appointed Egyptian ambassadors to 22 countries around the world, on the occasion of the commencement of their diplomatic missions in these countries.

At the beginning of the meeting, His Eminence the Grand Imam congratulated the new ambassadors on their appointment as Egypt's own ambassadors to the countries to which they are assigned, praying to Allah Almighty to grant them success in their new missions and to make them the best representatives of Egypt. He also affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to provide all forms of support to the work of Egyptian embassies around the world and to open direct channels of communication with them to overcome any challenges they may face in conveying the correct image of Islam and promoting Al-Azhar's moderate approach in these countries.

His Eminence emphasized that Al-Azhar's approach is based on instilling intellectual pluralism in the minds of its students by teaching them various opinions and schools of thought. Also, it encourages them to develop a critical mindset capable of innovation considering a balanced understanding of heritage texts. He pointed out that the characteristic of pluralism usually accompanies Al-Azhar students from a young age in their pursuit of knowledge; they see differences in matters of jurisprudence, even in matters of the Arabic language, and learn that both opinions are often correct, as Al-Azhar mentality does not accept isolation or adherence to a single opinion.

His Eminence explained that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif is the institution that has carried the banner of moderation and balance for hundreds of years. Throughout this long history, al-Azhar has spared no effort in supporting the nation's causes and strengthening its global standing, through the tens of thousands of international graduates who studied within its walls and graduated from its institutes and colleges. These graduates have become ambassadors for Al-Azhar in their countries, carrying with them the values of beneficial knowledge and moderation. They reserve gratitude to Al-Azhar and Egypt, in recognition of the support they received, which enabled them to reach the highest academic and professional levels in their countries. Thus, they serve as a true force in supporting Egypt and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.

His Eminence advised the new ambassadors to pay attention to Al-Azhar's message as one of the most important tools of Egyptian soft power, especially in Asia and Africa. This includes promoting the scholarships Al-Azhar offers to Muslims around the world as Al-Azhar allocates scholarships to various countries around the world. These scholarships are not limited to the study of Islamic and Arabic sciences, but extend to the study of medicine, pharmacy, engineering, and applied sciences. This did not exist before, but Al-Azhar made the decision to proceed in this direction to meet the real needs of the neediest countries, especially in Africa. Today, we see Al-Azhar doctors and engineers spread throughout the world, playing a major role in spreading Al-Azhar's message through their presence in their workplaces and through embracing the ethics of Islam and the moderation and balance of Al-Azhar.

His Eminence stressed the need to follow up on the affairs of Al-Azhar missions in the countries to which they are sent, emphasizing that Al-Azhar's envoys around the world are ambassadors of Egypt and Al-Azhar in these countries, and that it is necessary to work to overcome all challenges and difficulties they face in order to achieve their mission in these countries, and to represent Egypt and Al-Azhar in the best way. He pointed out that Al-Azhar has recently begun attracting distinguished graduates from African countries and treats them as Al-Azhar's envoys in their countries, so that they can spread Al-Azhar's message, benefiting from their familiarity with these societies, their awareness of cultural differences, and the real challenges facing their societies.

His Eminence explained that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has also prepared specialized and intensive training programs for imams and preachers in Egypt and all countries of the world regarding everything related to refuting extremist thought and dealing with contemporary issues, especially the correct position of Islam on women’s issues, and issues of coexistence and positive integration. These are presented through Al-Azhar Academy for the Training of Imams and Preachers. He pointed out that these programs provide an opportunity for imams to experience real life, go out into the street, visit archaeological and historical sites, see the Egyptian reality up close, and experience the Egyptian experience of positive coexistence by seeing Muslims side by side with their Christian brothers. These programs convey the correct thought.

His Eminence also discussed the issue of Al-Azhar's Arabic language teaching centers in many countries around the world, which Al-Azhar is working to expand to include more countries around the world, to serve the children of Muslims and Arab and Muslim communities in learning the language of the Holy Quran. He emphasized Al-Azhar's readiness to open new centers and provide all the necessary success factors for these centers, including curricula, teachers, and experts, to serve as a true nucleus for spreading the Arabic language and teaching people the language of the Holy Quran.

The new ambassadors expressed their happiness at meeting the Grand Imam and their appreciation for the significant role he plays in spreading the true image of Islam. They noted that Al-Azhar holds a crucial position around the world, a fact they had witnessed firsthand through their presence in numerous countries during their previous missions. They also noted that Al-Azhar is the beating heart of true Islam and one of the most prominent tools of Egyptian diplomacy.

The new ambassadors emphasized that Al-Azhar University represents an attractive model for many countries to establish scientific and cultural partnerships and cooperation protocols with. They highlighted the importance of Al-Azhar's Arabic language centers as a pioneering model for preserving the language of the Quran, particularly in Europe, with the goal of connecting Muslims there with the Arabic language. They also praised the role played by Al-Azhar's Observatory for Combating Extremism, both domestically and internationally, and their efforts to spread its benefits according to the needs of each country.

The delegation included: 

Ambassador Ahmed Mohamed Othman Shaheen, Ambassador of Egypt to the Permanent Delegation to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, 

Ambassador Yasser Mohamed Ahmed Shaaban, Ambassador of Egypt to the Sultanate of Oman, 

Ambassador Walid Mohamed Ismail Mahmoud, Ambassador of Egypt to Slovakia, 

Ambassador Yasser Ali Mahmoud Hashem, Ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 

Ambassador Hani Mustafa Mohamed Mustafa, Ambassador of Egypt to Vietnam, 

Ambassador Hatem Hassan Sami Qandil, Ambassador of Egypt to Colombia, 

Ambassador Ihab Mustafa Awad Mustafa, Representative of Egypt to the United Nations in New York, 

Ambassador Ragy Mohamed Mohamed El-Etreby, Ambassador of Egypt to Japan, 

Ambassador Tarek Adel Mohamed Khalil, Ambassador: Rania Mahmoud El-Banna, Ambassador of Egypt to Croatia, 

Ambassador Sherif Mustafa El-Sayed El-Diwani, Ambassador of Egypt to Nepal, 

Ambassador Noha Ahmed Maher Hamed Khedr, Ambassador of Egypt to Uruguay, 

Ambassador Khaled Mohamed Sami El-Abyad, Ambassador of Egypt to Jordan, 

Ambassador Tarek Mohamed Hussein Dahroug, Ambassador of Egypt to France, 

Ambassador Mohamed Mostafa Kamal Orfi, Ambassador of Egypt to Romania, 

Ambassador Ashraf Mohamed Nabhan Sweilam, Ambassador of Egypt to the United Kingdom, 

Ambassador Wael Ibrahim Ali Badawi Al-Sheikh, Ambassador of Egypt to Turkey, 

Ambassador Mohamed Mounir Mohamed Lotfy, Ambassador of Egypt to Denmark,

Ambassador Amal Mohamed Abdel Hamid Afifi, Ambassador of Egypt to Armenia,

Ambassador Hamdy Shaaban Abdel Halim Mohamed, Ambassador of Egypt to Russia, 

Ambassador Amr Abdel Azim El Sayed Refai, Ambassador of Egypt to Mexico, 

Ambassador Tamer Mohamed Kamal El Meligy, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, 

Ambassador Mohamed Gaber Mohamed Abou El Wafa, Ambassador of Egypt to Kuwait, 

Ambassador Naglaa Mohamed Naguib Ahmed Farag, Ambassador of Egypt to Sweden,

Minister Plenipotentiary Shaimaa Mahmoud Ahmed Badawi, to Malta,

and Minister Plenipotentiary Hatem Yousry Mostafa Hosni, to Kenya.