Al-Azhar Scholars Front, a disbanded conservative Islamic group, has urged Egyptian demonstrators to continue their protests, saying the protests are religiously permissible.
Al-Azhar University, the largest religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, does not recognize the front, which was founded in 1946, labeling it "an illegitimate entity."
"We tell our brothers who are fighting injustice, go out, only ants hide in their holes," the scholars front said in a statement.
"We are not encouraging sedition, many of us prefer safety for our nation, but expressing opinion through all means does not mean disobedience to the ruler."
The group has previously criticized the late Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi. Its activities were barred in 1998, before Tantawi obtained a final court ruling that disbanded the group in 1999.
The front has not made an appearance since 2000, but resurfaced from Kuwait, launching a website to revive its activities.
