Egypt and Tunisia to strengthen ties in religious scholarship
Egypt’s Ambassador to Tunisia, Bassem Hassan, met with Tunisia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Hichem Ben Mahmoud, to discuss deepening cooperation in religious scholarship according to Egypt Today on June 14th.
The meeting, held in Tunis, focused on expanding joint work in religious edicts (fatwas), imam training programs, and scholarship exchanges in Islamic studies. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of countering extremist ideologies through scholarly dialogue and moderation.
Ambassador Hassan emphasized the historical strength of Egypt-Tunisia relations, particularly the longstanding academic connection between Cairo’s Al Azhar University and Tunis’s Ez-Zitouna University. These ties were notably marked by the appointment of prominent Tunisian scholar Sheikh El-Khadr Hussein as Grand Imam of Al Azhar in 1952.
The ambassador described Al Azhar and Ez-Zitouna as beacons of moderate Islamic thought whose influence remains critical in promoting balanced religious discourse across the region. He added that Egypt looks forward to welcoming Sheikh Ben Mahmoud in Cairo this August for an international conference titled “The Making of a Wise Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” hosted by Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta.
The ambassador also reaffirmed Egypt’s ongoing support for the Palestinian cause and highlighted shared positions between Egyptian and Tunisian leaderships on the situation in Gaza, noting a joint commitment to ending hostilities and advancing cooperation across all fields.
On June 16th, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, held phone calls with the foreign ministers of Tunisia, Palestine and Czech to address escalations in the regional conflict and especially within Gaza.
For his part, Tunisia’s Grand Mufti welcomed the opportunity to strengthen collaboration with Egypt. He praised Al Azhar’s efforts in promoting scholarly excellence and praised Egypt’s role in defending the interests of the Islamic world.
Sheikh Ben Mahmoud echoed the importance of revitalizing ties between Ez-Zitouna and Al Azhar, saying both institutions have a vital role to play in addressing contemporary religious challenges while safeguarding shared heritage.
The visit and planned conference participation underscore growing efforts to institutionalize cooperation between Egypt and Tunisia’s leading Islamic authorities as part of broader efforts to promote religious moderation and regional unity.
Egypt Today is a state-affiliated news source with oversight from an Egyptian intelligence agency.
Egypt Today
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