Al-Azhar is more than an historic mosque founded in Cairo in 970AD: it is a vital Egyptian institution that, 1 000 years later plays an important role within the country and beyond.
Islamic clerics and scholars do not get involved in politics, says Imam Al-Tayeb, but they do participate in the national discourse, work towards social upliftment and conflict resolution, and serve everyone regardless of religion with compassion and in the interests of peace.