President Hosni Mubarak has appointed Ahmed el-Tayyeb as the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, which is Sunni Islam's most influential institution, reported the official Middle East News Agency on Friday. El Tayyeb, who is the incumbent President of Al Azhar University, replaces Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, who died on March 10. El Tayyeb, 64, served as the Mufti of Egypt for 18 months from 2002. A holder of a Phd degree from the Sorbonne University in France, he is known for his moderate views. He has been calling for renewing the Islamic discourse in light of recent international developments in Arab countries and in the world in general. He also encourages interaction between Islam and the West. El-Tayyeb has also helped open channels of communication between Al-Azhar University and many European and Asian countries where the students are taught the diversity of the Islamic heritage.