His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb, received today, Monday, His Excellency Sheikh Nayabagabo Salum, Mufti of the Republic of Burundi, accompanied by Mr. Omar Ntezimbere, Burundi's Ambassador to Egypt, and Mr. Issa Muzihi Salvatore, Secretary-General of the Islamic Association of Burundi, to discuss prospects for cooperation and enhance academic and dawah support and religious training.

His Eminence the Grand Imam affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to increase scholarships allocated to Burundian students, enabling the largest possible number of Burundians to enroll in Al-Azhar and gain knowledge from its teachings. He also stated that Al-Azhar will dispatch Azhari envoys to support religious schools in Burundi and host Burundian imams for two months at the Al-Azhar Academy for the Training of Imams, Preachers, and Fatwa Researchers. These programs will enable Burundian imams to receive specialized training programs that address the needs of Burundian society and enable them to address the religious and intellectual issues of their communities, contributing to the dissemination of the values of moderation and the correction of misconceptions.

His Eminence explained that Al-Azhar places cooperation with educational and cultural institutions among its priorities, emphasizing that investing in education and imam training is not merely a scholarly endeavor, but rather a comprehensive civilizational project aimed at consolidating social stability and preserving authentic religious identity. This project also promotes the values of tolerance and coexistence through thoughtful scientific curricula that consider special characteristics and cultures of societies, while maintaining a balanced openness towards new intellectual developments.

The Mufti of Burundi expressed his pleasure at meeting His Eminence and his country's appreciation for his role in serving the causes of the Islamic nation. He asserted that Al-Azhar represents a trusted scholarly and religious authority for Muslims in Burundi and Africa in general. He noted that cooperation with Al-Azhar will contribute to developing the capabilities of imams and preachers in Burundi, which will positively impact Burundian society in general.