On Saturday, Sheikh Ṣaliḥ ‛Abbās, Al-Azhar Grand Imam's Deputy, received a delegation of the Indonesian Muslim Scholars Council (IMSC) of North Sumatra, headed by Mr. Abdulla Shan, Chairman of the IMSC.

     At the beginning of the meeting, Al-Azhar Grand Imam's Deputy welcomed the delegation. Then he stressed the strong relationships between Al-Azhar and Indonesia, which ranks first among more than 100 countries whose children study at Al-Azhar.

     His Eminence added that Al-Azhar always seeks to provide support to Indonesia through many educational programs. These programs are offered to students by the Institutes of Islamic Missions and Al-Azhar University. Additionally, programs are offered for training imams and preachers through Al-Azhar Academy. Lectures and lessons are held in the Ruwāq (Class Courts) inside Al-Azhar Mosque.

     During the meeting, Prof. ‛Abdu-Dāyem Nuṣῑr, Educational Adviser to Al-Azhar Grand Imam said, “Al-Azhar is proud of its Indonesian students because of their educational excellence, and moral commitment”. He also noted that Indonesia enjoys the largest percentage of scholarships offered by Al-Azhar.

     On his part, the Head of the IMSC delegation thanked Al-Azhar for the warm welcome and its care for the Indonesian students. He also expressed hope for the continued cooperation between Al-Azhar and his country. He requested more scholarships to be made offered to Indonesian students.