During his meeting with the Parliament President in Zanzibar, Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy, “Al-Azhar is working to support Africa in the light of Egypt's presidency of the African Union".
- "Terrorism is a psychological and intellectual disease that has no relation to the Heavenly religions."
- "The Egyptian Family House (EFH) is a unique experience that aims to preserve the national structure."
His Eminence Sheikh Ṣāliḥ ‛Abbās, Al-Azhar Grand Imam's Deputy, said that Egypt's presidency of the African Union contributes greatly to strengthening the ties between Al-Azhar and all educational institutions in Africa. Al-Azhar has taken intensive steps in the light of Egypt's presidency of the African Union. It has taken several procedures that will increase the level of cooperation between Al-Azhar and Africa, being among the largest areas of Al-Azhar’s external activities.
During his meeting with the Parliament President in Zanzibar, His Eminence said that the Grand Imam has decided to double the number of scholarships offered to the African students this year, becoming 1,600, in addition to about 5,500 students from Africa studying at different educational stages at Al-Azhar. Al-Azhar has also trained more than 440 African imams and preachers, qualifying them to confront extremist ideologies and terrorism.
The Grand Imam's Deputy stated that Al-Azhar has 16 Azhari institutes in these African countries, in “Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Somalia, South Africa and Uganda”, at the stages of pre-university education. He explained that Al-Azhar covers all the expenses of teachers, curricula, and textbooks. The graduates are granted accredited certificates from Al-Azhar. Al-Azhar also provides more than 562 teachers and preachers to teach and train students and mosques imams there. They are trained according to the correct, tolerant and moderate approaches and principles of Islam. He added that we send medical and relief missions and that Al-Azhar will never stop sending these convoys one after the other to the countries that need them.
During the meeting, Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy stressed that terrorism is a psychological and intellectual disease that has no relation to the Heavenly religions. It is manifest injustice and fraud that brutal crimes such as murder and blood shedding are now committed, only to accuse Islam of them, exclusively among all religions. This is an unjust judgment. It is a fraud which attempts to despise the minds and understandings, belittling reality and history. It is unfair to accuse religions, which are meant to guide people and construct the earth, of being the source of terrorism, fanaticism or extremism.
Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy then touched on the EFH, describing it as a unique experience that is taken care of by Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Church. Al-Azhar proudly presents the EFH to the East and the West. The Grand Imam and the Egyptian Church Pope take turns in leading the EFH, with the aim of preserving the national structure of Egypt. The decision to establish the EFH was issued by the Egyptian Cabinet in October 2011.
It is worth mentioning that the visit of Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy and the accompanied delegation to Zanzibar comes within the joint cooperation between the International Center for Population Studies at Al-Azhar University and the southern countries of Africa. This cooperation deals with family planning from an Islamic perspective, with the aim to enhance knowledge and understanding about Islam and reproductive health. It is also meant to educate religious leaders on the accurate interpretation of Islam, family planning and other issues related to reproductive health and the right to procreate.