CAIRO - In a ground-breaking meeting, leaders of Al-Azhar, Egypt's prominent seat of Sunni Islam, and the Muslim Brotherhood, a moderate Islamist group, agreed to join hands to spread moderate Islam. Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayyeb held rare talks in his office in Cairo with Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badei and his predecessor Mohamed Mahdi Akef over means to unify religious discourse. "We have agreed to build on common ideas to spread moderate Islam and solidify it against extremism," el-Tayyeb said after the meeting. He added that Al-Azhar with its moderate approach “calls on all Islamic groups to observe dialogue to unify their religious discourse". Badei, the Brotherhood chief, described the meeting as a good step for "the benefit of the Islamic nation". "The Brotherhood will work under Al-Azhar umbrella to impart moderation and to unify Muslims' stance," said Badei, who was elected last year as the group's supremo. The Brotherhood, Egypt's well-organised political power banned for over 50 years, announced this week that it formed a political party, pledging it would be independent from the group, which was founded in 1928. Mubarak's regime often referred to the Brotherhood as an outlawed organisation that threatened the country's stability. But it has long had widespread appeal for its grass-roots social programmes. Meanwhile, the veteran cleric, who was appointed to his post by Mubarak last year, warned that the US killing of Osama bin Laden, the spiritual leader of al-Qaeda, would not stem out terrorism. "The world is urged to adopt justice and abandon double-standard policies in order to end terrorism. Killing one person or jailing thousands is not a solution," said el-Tayyeb.
