Egypt’s Al-Azhar University to open campus in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr Nazir Mohamed Ayad has announced the opening of a campus of Al-Azhar University in Pakistan.

During a meeting with Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Ayad said that it is important that people learn the Arabic language so that they can understand the true teaching of Islam.

He said that Al-Azhar University is one of the staunch supporters of women’s education. He said that Al-Azhar University will promote not only the teachings of Islam but also the Arabic culture so that the two countries can be brought closer.

Khalid Maqbool Siddique said that Egypt and Pakistan have a strong Islamic and cultural bond. He said that Pakistan and Egypt, both have a civilisation that is amongst the oldest in the world.

He said that Al-Azhar University holds immense importance for all of the Islamic world. He said that it is his dream to visit the educational hub of Islamic teachings.

The minister while discussing the upcoming International Gils Conference in Pakistan from January 11 to January 12, said that he was proud of the initiative being taken by the Islamic countries to promote girl’s education.

He said that it was a misconception that Islam does not allow women’s education. He said that Islam believed in the education of all men and women.

He said that the government of Pakistan give the highest priority to ensure that the women of Pakistan have equal educational opportunities just as men.

Khalid Maqbool said that Egypt and Pakistan should enhance their partnership and efforts in promoting girl’s education. He said that an educated woman means a progressive and cultured society which will also nurture and nourish the future generation according to the real teachings of Islam.

Dr Nazir Ayad thanked the federal minister for his warm welcome and said that Al-Azhar University has more than 40 per cent female students.

He further said that Pakistan should send scholars to Egypt so that they can learn from the experience and teachings of one of the oldest institutions in the world.

Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said that the education ministry will extend every support for the establishment of the Al-Azhar University campus in Pakistan.

He said that to further highlight the intent of the government to provide women with equal educational opportunities, more than 2000 female students from colleges and universities across Pakistan have been invited to attend the International Girls Conference.

He further said that all public schools in Islamabad have started Arabic classes with the sole intention of increasing awareness about the true teachings of Islam.

The meeting was also attended by Egyptian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Ihab Mohamed Abdelhamid Hassan.

The Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt’s oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic learning. In addition to higher education, Al-Azhar oversees a national network of schools with approximately two million students. As of 1996, over 4,000 teaching institutes in Egypt were affiliated with the university.

Founded in 970 or 972 by the Fatimid Caliphate as a centre of Islamic learning, its students studied the Qur’an and Islamic law, along with logic, grammar, rhetoric, and how to calculate the phases of the moon. Today it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. In 1961 additional non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.

It should be noted that Nobel Laureate and global girls’ education rights advocate Malala Yousafzai will visit Pakistan to attend as a special guest a two-day global summit on girls’ education scheduled from January 11 to January 12 in Islamabad