Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb on Wednesday (October 2nd) said the institution exerted a great deal of effort to counter extremist thought, Egypt's Ahram Online reported.
Al-Azhar has worked to build bridges of co-operation and understanding among various civilisations, he said in remarks made during a Wednesday meeting with US Chargé d'Affaires in Cairo Thomas Goldberger.
Al-Azhar has been keen to communicate and co-operate with religious institutions in Egypt and abroad, he noted, including Christian institutions such as the Vatican, Canterbury Cathedral and the World Council of Churches.
These efforts reflect Al-Azhar's interest in exchanging views with various cultures, he said.
He stressed that Al-Azhar was ready to co-operate with various institutions in the US to help revive peace based on mutual co-existence and respect of others.
Goldberger praised al-Tayeb's vision on peace, communication and co-existence among followers of various religions and civilisations.
