Al-Azhar withdraws sole representative from constituent assembly
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Al-Azhar withdraws sole representative from constituent assembly (Photo: Al-Masry Al-Youm)
Al-Azhar withdrew its only representative on Thursday from the constituent assembly that will draft the constitution.
As the influential religious institution removed its delegate, Nasr Farid Wasel, a former State Mufti, it expressed reservations over the assembly make-up and described its representation as "inappropriate."
Members of the Islamic Research Academy decided in a meeting headed by Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb to excuse itself from participating, saying that the assembly did "not [represent] Azhar appropriately with a proportion commensurate with its historic role."
The members said in a statement following the meeting that "the inappropriate representation of Al-Azhar in the constituent assembly marginalizes the historic role of Al-Azhar in an important national event."
Moety Bayoumy, member of the Islamic Research Academy, told Al-Masry Al-Youm, "It should not be at all that one trend dominates the constituent assembly as it violates the principles of Islam.
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