Greetings From The Gulf To Al-Azhar's Free Sheikh
24 February 2013By Tariq Alhomayed
The above title is taken from a tweet sent by UAE
foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, in
recognition of the stance adopted by Al-Azhar grand
sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb towards the Iranian president,
during the latter's recent visit to Egypt. During the
visit, Al-Azhar, and its grand sheikh, adopted a
critical attitude towards Iran's policies in the
region.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed's sentiments here reflect
the position of the entire Arabian Gulf. The Arab
world rejects Iran's interference in the countries of
the region, and particularly its blatant and flagrant
support for the tyrant of Damascus, Bashar Al-Assad.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the Al-Azhar
grand sheikh's severe and clear statement, after
meeting with President Ahmadinejad, was a historic
speech that will live long in the memory. It was a
speech displaying the conscience and responsibility
required from the leader of Sunni moderation in Egypt.
He rejected prejudice in the region, including in the
Arabian Gulf, saying that Iran must not interfere in
the affairs of the independent state of Bahrain, or
the rest of the Gulf States for that matter, as well
as in Syria. Likewise the grand sheikh rejected Iran's
attempts to spread the Shia doctrine throughout the
region, most dangerously through politics and the
media. He remarked that this spread is now rampant,
the credit for which goes to the Muslim Brotherhood
and its affiliates, and this is the crux of the
matter.
Yet the fear today is that the Al-Azhar grand sheikh
will be targeted because of his strict stance towards
Ahmadinejad's visit to Egypt, and his critical
attitude towards Iran's policies in the region,
specifically in the Gulf and Syria. One may argue here
that the Egyptian foreign minister also expressed to
the Iranian president that the Gulf was a red line,
but this is not enough of course. If the Egyptian
foreign minister had told Ahmadinejad that Syria and
the blood of its citizens was a red line, and that
defending Bashar Assad puts Iran among the ranks of
enemies, then one could say that Egypt today is united
behind one position, but that did not happen.
Therefore, the reality of the matter-and the course of
events in Egypt over the past two years-tells us that
we must look out for any attempt to target Al-Azhar
grand sheikh Ahmed Tayeb, especially as he leads
Egypt's predominant moderate Sunni trend.
Previously, I warned of those seeking to control Al-Azhar
in my article entitled ?'The region caught between two
guides?' on 16 December 2012. Today I return to warn
of the danger of targeting Al-Azhar; an institution
that has displayed its independence to ensure the
protection of Egypt as a whole. This is not just
evident by Al-Azhar's noble stance towards
Ahmadinejad's visit, but also because of its
insistence on the unity of Egypt and all its
components ever since the fall of the Mubarak regime.
However, today the danger is growing, and the grand
sheikh must be a red line for all citizens of Egypt,
the Gulf, and the Arabs in general and indeed anyone
who advocates tolerance, stability, and moderate
discourse. Thus, as UAE foreign minister said:
?Greetings from the Gulf to Al-Azhar's free sheikh?.
He deserves this greeting without a doubt.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq
Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that
position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from
King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also
completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's
degree from George Washington University in Washington
D.C. He is based in London.
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