Al Azhar imam arrives in Nigeria

Al Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el Tayyeb arrived here on a two-day visit to Nigeria where he will meet President Muhammadu Buhari, the vice president, high-level officials, clerics and scholars.

They will probe means of promoting cooperation between Al Azhar and Nigerian religious institutions to overcome extremist ideas and propagate for the moderate teachings of Islam.

El Tayyeb was welcomed upon arrival by Nigerian Education Minister Adamu Adamu and Egyptian Ambassador here Ashraf Salama.

During the visit, el Tayyeb will also meet members of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), some scholars and the ambassadors of Islamic countries in the African country.

He will also give a speech to the peoples of the African and Islamic nations from the Abuja International Conference Center under the rubric "Islam is religion of peace: Challenges overcoming extremist ideas and terrorism".

El Tayyeb's visit, his first since assuming his post, falls within the framework of Al Azhar's efforts to spread the moderate teachings of Islam, peace, dialogue between cultures and coexistence.

Source : MENA