Egypt: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Al-Azhar World Observatory and the head office of World Association for Al-Azhar Graduates (WAAG) during his two day visit to Egypt. He praised their training programs and praised their cooperation with Britain in the field of counter-terrorism.
On their visit to Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, the Grand Imam, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, welcomed Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister and the President of the Tony Blair Foundation for Global Change.
The Grand Imam termed the concept of Islamic terrorism as a lie and a fabrication. Terrorism cannot be attributed to Islam in any way, he said. He highlighted the importance of coordination between Al-Azhar and European countries in combating extremist ideologies. Dr. Ahmad warned of the tendency of some countries to transfer their embassies to the occupied city of Jerusalem, something that will fuel the feelings of Muslims around the world.
Delivering a speech at the end of his visit, Tony Blair praised the role of Al-Azhar and its institutions in addressing the challenges of today and confronting extremism and terrorism.
The Al-Azhar World Observatory monitors and follows up on extremist organisations and what is published about Islam and Muslims around the world, and issues eFatwa to clarify issues and misconceptions.