CAIRO: The Islamic Research Academy, Al Azhar, and seat of Sunni Islam, decided on Tuesday at its emergency meeting held under the chairmanship of the Sheikh Al-Azhar, Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, to hold on to its previous decision not to participate in the Constituent Assembly drafting Egypt`s new constitution, and insisting on its withdrawal despite negotiations and attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to convince Al Azhar to return. This comes after the Coptic Orthodox and Catholic Churches representatives, along with the representatives of the Supreme Constitutional Court, chairman of the Lawyers Syndicate, members of Leftist and Liberal parties and prominent Public figures withdrew and boycotted the session of the Constituent Assembly in protest of the monopoly of the Muslim Brotherhood`s Political Wing the Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist Nour Party, over the selection criteria of the Assembly`s Membership. The adviser to the Sheikh of Al Azhar , Sheikh Mahmoud Azab, said after the end of the session of the Islamic Research Academy, which was held at Al-Azhar, that Al Azhar is dissatsified with the representation in the constituent Assembly, as it does not represent all spectrums of the nation, he said. Azab said that The Research Academy discussed all the proposals made by the leader of the FJP Party Mohammed Morsy to make some concessions, but it found that these proposals are inadequate, adding, “If the selection criteria is changed and pleases all the spectra of the society, Al Azhar would definitely return to the Assembly. For his part, Mahmoud al-Muhanna, a member of the Islamic Research Academy, said that Al-Azhar represents the whole nation, pointing out that if Al-Azhar is marginalized, it means that the whole nation is marginalized and excluded from the Assembly. Muhanna explained that the members of the Islamic Research Academy decided after studying the proposals not to return and be bound by this decision, until all the spectra of the society are represented equally and fairly in the Assembly, indicating that the former Mufti of the Republic, Dr. Nasr Farid Wasel, the sole representative of Al-Azhar in the Assembly decided with the Academy members not to participate.
