Source: Madamasr
Author(s): Asmahan Soliman
Original Link: https://madamasr.com/en/2019/04/11/feature/politics/how-the-grand-imam-of-al-azhar-survived-the-constitutional-amendments/
As part of the raft of controversial amendments to Egypt’s Constitution slated to be put to a public referendum later this month, a proposed article would have featured a less independent Al-Azhar — Egypt’s highest Islamic institution and an authority on Sunni Islam worldwide — a source close to Al-Azhar’s leadership tells Mada Masr.
However, political mediation has put a halt to the move, which was abandoned in return for a set of compromises from Al-Azhar’s grand imam, Ahmed al-Tayyeb.
According to the source, the proposed article in the constitutional amendments would have given the president the authority to appoint Al-Azhar’s grand imam himself — as was the case before 2012 — which has since been altered to bestow Al-Azhar scholars the power of choosing their own leader.
Read more at original link