(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Egypt’s top Sunni cleric on Monday denounced Shi’ite Hussainia (congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies) in an usual outburst against the Muslim sect, telling Iran’s envoy in Cairo that the Hussainias promoted “instability.”Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the imam of the prestigious Sunni al-Azhar institute, in a meeting with scholars from al-Azhar and Islamist groups issued a statement condemned any worship places for Shia Muslims excepts Mosques. He said any construction of Hussainia and other religious places for Shia Muslims are illegal because it is an attempt to spread Shiism in Egypt.Tayyeb under the intrigue of Salafism said that al-Azhar “rejected any Hussainia in Egypt because of their negative effects in destabilizing the country and fracturing unity and weakening the national fabric”.Mahmoud Azab, Tayyeb’s dialogue adviser claimed that “We are not against Shiism. They can do whatever they want in their countries, but if we are to draw closer to them, we don’t want to hear insults against the companions"According to sources, Egyptian authorities decided to shut down the Hussainia, which was reportedly opened by Lebanese Shi’ite cleric Ali al-Korani during his recent visit to Cairo.After the expression of Ahmed al Tayyeb, many Shia and Sunni scholars denounced his anti-Shia speeches and called it is against unity between different religion and sects.Ironically, Al-Azhar itself was founded as a Shi’ite learning center in the tenth century by the Fatimids, who ruled Egypt at the time.
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