Disir
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For the first time in its 1,000-year-old history, Al-Azhar, the world’s leading institution on Sunni Islam, accepted a Christian student. Abanoub Girgis Naeim, a graduate of a private university in the Upper Egyptian city of Beni Suef, sent an application for his one-year-residency to the School of Dentistry at Al-Azhar and was admitted.
Because most private universities in Egypt do not offer residencies, which are mandatory for the completion of a dentistry degree, students apply to state universities. What is peculiar about Naeim’s case is that he chose to apply to Al-Azhar, which only accepts Muslims including in non-theological schools, and that he was actually accepted.
Naeim’s case raised speculations about whether Al-Azhar is on its way to open its scientific schools to all Egyptians and whether this is the first step toward a long-awaited reform of an institution that is regarded as responsible for religious discourse in Egypt.
Khaled Seddiq, dean of the School of Dentistry at Al-Azhar University branch in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiout, where Naeim applied, received five residency applications — from four Muslims and one Christian: “I accepted them all without looking at religion,” he said.
“These are the principles we learn at Al-Azhar.” Seddiq noted that most patients who are treated by dental students in the Assiout branch are Christian anyway, in reference to the large Christian population in the governorate.
According to Seddiq, Naeim said that he will encourage his Christian colleagues to apply for their residences at the same school.
“And I will accept them as long as they are qualified,” he said. “I was also in a meeting with Al-Azhar grand imam and he praised such a step as representative of the values of moderation promoted by Al-Azhar.” However, Seddiq made it clear that Naeim is only spending a one-year residency at Al-Azhar, which is similar to being part of a training program, and is not enrolled as a full-time student.
Is Al-Azhar ‘secularizing’ its scientific schools?
No. The answer is no they aren't. I'd give it another 20 years. Maybe less.
Because most private universities in Egypt do not offer residencies, which are mandatory for the completion of a dentistry degree, students apply to state universities. What is peculiar about Naeim’s case is that he chose to apply to Al-Azhar, which only accepts Muslims including in non-theological schools, and that he was actually accepted.
Naeim’s case raised speculations about whether Al-Azhar is on its way to open its scientific schools to all Egyptians and whether this is the first step toward a long-awaited reform of an institution that is regarded as responsible for religious discourse in Egypt.
Khaled Seddiq, dean of the School of Dentistry at Al-Azhar University branch in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiout, where Naeim applied, received five residency applications — from four Muslims and one Christian: “I accepted them all without looking at religion,” he said.
“These are the principles we learn at Al-Azhar.” Seddiq noted that most patients who are treated by dental students in the Assiout branch are Christian anyway, in reference to the large Christian population in the governorate.
According to Seddiq, Naeim said that he will encourage his Christian colleagues to apply for their residences at the same school.
“And I will accept them as long as they are qualified,” he said. “I was also in a meeting with Al-Azhar grand imam and he praised such a step as representative of the values of moderation promoted by Al-Azhar.” However, Seddiq made it clear that Naeim is only spending a one-year residency at Al-Azhar, which is similar to being part of a training program, and is not enrolled as a full-time student.
Is Al-Azhar ‘secularizing’ its scientific schools?
No. The answer is no they aren't. I'd give it another 20 years. Maybe less.
