Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, addressing the press said that during his meeting with Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie the two discussed ways to curb the wave of extremism, which he said risks ruining Islam's image.
The meeting between the religious figures marks the first of its kind since the Brotherhood was banned in 1954.
Ahmed al-Tayyeb said the meeting was not possible before the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak's regime, which opposed such dialogues.
Prominent figure of Al-Azhar added that recent developments in Egypt require all powers in the society to be open to one another and no entity should be excluded.
Badie said Al-Azhar will remain an important institution that protects Egypt.
Abdel Rahman al-Barr, a member of the Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau and a professor at Al-Azhar, said Tayyeb’s meeting with the Brotherhood was a friendly one that focused on cooperation between the two sides in order to spread religious tolerance
While Al-Azhar is a scientific institution that serves the call to Islam, Brotherhood members are the actors on the ground who serve this call, Barr added.
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