The Islamic Research Academy will offer lectures for administrative staff in governmental institutions and state agencies, according to Mohi El-Din Afifi, Secretary General of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy in state-run MENA. The Academy said the lectures would be to raise awareness about extremist ideas that exploit religion and "invade citizens' minds". The lectures are part of Al-Azhar's efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and raise awareness on the dangers of terrorism and its implications on governmental institutions and citizens, said Afifi.Professors in various disciplines from different Egyptian universities, including psychology and sociology, will deliver the lectures.Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb visited Egypt's Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, on Tuesday to express the government's support for the vital role played by Al-Azhar to fight extremist ideologies. Earlier in December, Al-Tayeb and Coptic Pope Tawadros II, held a conference to counter extremist ideologies and terrorism. The conference was in support of government-led efforts to counter the growth of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) and its regional affiliates, which include the Egypt-based ‘State of Sinai' organisation. The Islamic Research Academy is a centre within Al-Azhar, the official state institution responsible for the study and teaching of Islam and the world's foremost seat of Sunni learning.
