CAIRO: Egypt's Grand Mufti Ali Goma'a is to deliver a lecture at the United States Institute of Peace on the “challenges of moderation in Islam.” The expected speech comes as Goma'a has been at the center of a little controversy after he said last month that women were allowed to wear jeans, but not “too tight” following the lashing sentence in Sudan over women who wear pants. The research institute supported by the American government based in Washington, D.C., confirmed that the Grand Mufti would deliver a lecture this month. A statement by the institute, whose trustees are appointed by the American president, said that “the symposium will be held for at least an hour and a half and will address: ‘the challenges of moderation in Islam' and ‘Egypt's Religious institutions vs. extremism'.” The symposium is set to be held at Johns Hopkins University in the heart of American capitol. The institutes's statement to the media also highlighted Goma'a's background, starting from his appointment by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2003 to the top post and Goma'a's role as a “senior interpreter and administrator of Islamic law. He is active in global interfaith efforts, including the Common Word Initiative launched by senior Islamic leaders in 2007, arguing that dialogue can dissolve barriers.” Not all Egyptian religious leaders are pleased with Goma'a visiting the U.S., with one local sheikh saying that Goma'a “does not have the strength to speak in this setting and is not the tolerant image of Islam that people should see. He is too corrupt.” The institute's statement added that “Sheikh Goma'a is a regular critic of interpretations of Islam that condone violence and has written extensively on spirituality, prevention of violence, human rights, women's equality and peacemaking and is visiting in the context of President Obama’s speech in Cairo, which called for greater interaction to forge new relations between the Islamic world and the West.” The public will also have the opportunity to ask the mufti questions following his talk. The symposium is being managed by David Smock, a research and Vice-President at the Institute of Peace. The event is being co-sponsored by the Middle East Studies program at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and the Religion and Peacemaking program at the institute. **reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam BM
