Iran Invites Al-Azhar University to Tehran

[Kadark]

Iran Invites Egypt Al-Azhar University

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran has made an unprecedented request for Cairo's Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, to open a branch in Tehran.

"We have asked officially, but so far we have had no response," Karim Azizi, spokesman at the Iranian interests section in Cairo, said.

There is no Iranian embassy in the Egyptian capital since diplomatic relations were cut almost 30 years ago.

Azizi told AFP the request to Al-Azhar - founded in 975 AD - was aimed at "reinforcing Iranian-Egyptian relations and bringing closer together the different Islamic confessions, especially Sunnis and Shiites."

Iran has distanced itself from a TV film "Assassination of a Pharaoh" whose broadcast followed by Egyptian reaction summoning Iran's envoy in Cairo and shutdown of Iranian satellite TV channel.

Iran said the TV film does not represent Tehran's position, hailing relations between the two Middle East heavyweights as "based on friendship and brotherhood."

Diplomatic ties were severed in 1980 a year after Iran's Islamic Revolution in protest at Egypt's recognizing the Israeli regime, hosting the deposed shah and supporting Baghdad during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Relations warmed recently, with both states signaling a willingness to restore ties. In January, President Hosni Mubarak met Iran's Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, the first such high-level talks in almost three decades.

Mohammed Sayed Said, editor of the independent Al-Badil newspaper, described the Iranian initiative as "a very smart move".

"The general feeling at the moment is that we (Muslims) are the target of destruction, so we should do whatever is necessary to restore unity."

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8705170618

This news is significant for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it encourages Sunnis and Shias, bitter rivals in today's world, to embrace each other and respect their differing beliefs. Secondly, this new maneuver has the potential to initiate the healing desperately needed between Arab-Persian relations. Finally, this new maneuver is ripe with political undertones: Iran is seeking Arab support for its nuclear program, which nearly the entire world has inexplicably shunned. Sure, Iran's offer may not be as sincere or genuine as advertised, but the offer still stands, and Egypt would be a blithering fool to decline. If I'm not mistaken, there isn't a single Sunni mosque in Tehran, which is why inviting the most prominent Sunni university to build a branch in such a city is indescribably shocking (in a good way, I assure you), as far as news goes. The Persians and, furthermore, the Shias, may not have the most impressive history in terms of playing the role of "uniter", but make no mistake about it: they're the ones reaching over to the Sunnis and seeking their support. The Sunnis overwhelm the Shias in terms of sheer numbers, resources, and influence, precisely why the Sunnis themselves should be most active in patching up their differences. The ball is now in Egypt's court: will they refuse to acknowledge an unprecedented offer simply because of the political undertones/strong Shia resentment, or will they finally heed the advice of Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot who, as former head of Al-Azhar, issued a fatwa in 1959 stating the equality between Sunni-Shia schools of thought?

With relationships severely strained between the Arabs and Persians (Sunnis and Shias, call it whatever you like), this offer is certainly news-worthy and has incredible potential. Egypt must accept!


Kadark

 

[DiamondHearts]

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8705170618

This news is significant for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it encourages Sunnis and Shias, bitter rivals in today's world, to embrace each other and respect their differing beliefs. Secondly, this new maneuver has the potential to initiate the healing desperately needed between Arab-Persian relations. Finally, this new maneuver is ripe with political undertones: Iran is seeking Arab support for its nuclear program, which nearly the entire world has inexplicably shunned. Sure, Iran's offer may not be as sincere or genuine as advertised, but the offer still stands, and Egypt would be a blithering fool to decline. If I'm not mistaken, there isn't a single Sunni mosque in Tehran, which is why inviting the most prominent Sunni university to build a branch in such a city is indescribably shocking (in a good way, I assure you), as far as news goes. The Persians and, furthermore, the Shias, may not have the most impressive history in terms of playing the role of "uniter", but make no mistake about it: they're the ones reaching over to the Sunnis and seeking their support. The Sunnis overwhelm the Shias in terms of sheer numbers, resources, and influence, precisely why the Sunnis themselves should be most active in patching up their differences. The ball is now in Egypt's court: will they refuse to acknowledge an unprecedented offer simply because of the political undertones/strong Shia resentment, or will they finally heed the advice of Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot who, as former head of Al-Azhar, issued a fatwa in 1959 stating the equality between Sunni-Shia schools of thought?

With relationships severely strained between the Arabs and Persians (Sunnis and Shias, call it whatever you like), this offer is certainly news-worthy and has incredible potential. Egypt must accept!


Kadark

I have been to Tehran, it is a very beautiful city particularly the Golestan area and Mosque complexes.

I think the main issue with Iran is not with Sunni countries but with secular Arab nationalist countries. It is the exclusivist nationalist secularism of many Arab countries alienates many people in the Muslim world.

Al-Azhar started as a Shia school and still contained Shia students.

 

[Kadark]

I have been to Tehran, it is a very beautiful city particularly the Golestan area and Mosque complexes.

I think the main issue with Iran is not with Sunni countries but with secular Arab nationalist countries. It is the exclusivist nationalist secularism of many Arab countries alienates many people in the Muslim world.

Al-Azhar started as a Shia school and still contained Shia students.

I agree. Arab secularism and exclusivism has alienated the non-Arabs from the Arab world for decades. Iran has shown that it can sustain healthy relations with Sunni states, which simply illustrates that the Arab leadership shares the heaviest burden of responsibility for the current status of strained affairs. I think Iran's offer is very beneficial to both sides, provided Egypt accepts and shows the Shias the same respect they've shown the Sunnis.

Personally, I'd love to see the non-Arabs of the Muslim world (Turks, Persians, and Pakistanis) improve relations and gain influence within the region, thereby putting pressure on the Arab states to cooperate with their Muslim counterparts in an era of hostility and resentment toward Islam. If the Arabs cannot come to terms with the non-Arabs, then it would be sufficient to have the non-Arabs intermingle in terms of religion, which hopefully will evolve into further diplomacy and political unity. Ultimately, Iran deserves unadulterated support from its neighbours, especially on the topic of its nuclear program.


Kadark

 

[DiamondHearts]

I agree. Arab secularism and exclusivism has alienated the non-Arabs from the Arab world for decades. Iran has shown that it can sustain healthy relations with Sunni states, which simply illustrates that the Arab leadership shares the heaviest burden of responsibility for the current status of strained affairs.

I agree 100%. Iran has been the only Muslim country to support the lawful democratic victors in Palestine and to support the resistance to Israeli invasion in Lebanon.

Iran has healthy relations with several Sunni Muslim states, the majority are neighbors such as Pakistan, Central Asia Republics such as Turkmenistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan.

It's negative relations with Iraq and Afghanistan are a product, not of enmity, but of foreign policy disasters with those states and territorial disputes, which most Iranian leaders view as mistakes in the present.

Iran's negative relations with the Arab states is due mainly to Arab secularist hostility to the Iranian religious establishment and its strengthening of Islamically inclined Sunni movements.

I think Iran's offer is very beneficial to both sides, provided Egypt accepts and shows the Shias the same respect they've shown the Sunnis.

I agree. We need to re-establish solidarity with fellow Muslim states. This is the only answer.

Personally, I'd love to see the non-Arabs of the Muslim world (Turks, Persians, and Pakistanis) improve relations and gain influence within the region, thereby putting pressure on the Arab states to cooperate with their Muslim counterparts in an era of hostility and resentment toward Islam.

The Arab world is a mess, mainly due to the failures of secular Arab nationalism and the tyrannical dictatorships and kingdoms in power. The only solution to the economic, intellectual stagnation of the Arab world is to firmly establish a new order based on Islamic values and Islamic ideals. This is the only answer, because what is an Arab? The only original Arabs are the Hijazi Arabs, the rest are Arabized populations who adopted the Arabic language and culture. Unity cannot be established on such a shaky framework, Islam has been shown to be the only solution whereby the Arabs can elevate above nationality, tribe, and self-destructive superiority complex which has swept them like a plague.

By stressing their Islamic identity, unity with Muslims from other cultures can be established. Once the Arab leaders and secular elite lose powers, I believe Islamic revival will naturally proceed at an accelerated pace. I believe the Palestinians and Lebanese will serve to be a rallying point, not only for all Arabs, but all Muslims, as it should be.

If the Arabs cannot come to terms with the non-Arabs, then it would be sufficient to have the non-Arabs intermingle in terms of religion, which hopefully will evolve into further diplomacy and political unity. Ultimately, Iran deserves unadulterated support from its neighbours, especially on the topic of its nuclear program.


Kadark

Yes. It our duty as those with a cultural and religious heritage to Iran, via its great teachers and scholars of past ages as Iran was the central point for the conversion of the Turks, Mongols, and South Asians, and political solidarity with the Muslim struggle to support Iran's right to become an economic power. It is incumbent on the two most powerful Muslim neighbors of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, to support Iran in this predicament against all odds.

The Muslim countries' cowardice, in-action, and lack of unity has cost thousands of Afghans and Iraqis their lives, must we let it happen again?