"There is no contradiction whatsoever between my position as grand sheikh of Al-Azhar and my membership in the National Democratic Party (NDP)," said Ahmed el-Tayeb on his first day in office. "It is not expected that the grand sheikh–or any other government official–oppose the regime."
El-Tayeb also said he would consider reintroducing studies in fiqh, or Islamic jurisprudence, in Al-Azhar-affiliated educational institutes.
"Developing the curricula for Al-Azhar students is a priority," he said, adding that he intended to capitalize on the achievements attained by his predecessor, Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi, who passed away last week.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
