A July 25th report by the Middle East News Agency has provided more details on cooperation between the Egyptian Al-Azhar and the British Government. A recent post has reported on the Al-Azhar affiliated Islamic Academy scheduled to open in London in September and according to the new report, an agreement on cooperation between al-Azhar and the British Council in Cairo was signed recently which also called for setting up a new English language centre at al-Azhar University. The report also stated:
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his cabinet ministers were keen on boosting cooperation with all moderates in the Islamic world along with religious institutions, atop of which came al-Azhar.He said the British government is seeking to convince the British people that Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance.
The previous post noted the dominant role that Saudi Arabia has come to play at Al-Azhar raising the possibility that the new academy might serve as yet another vehicle for the propagation of Saudi-style Islam in the U.K.