Politicians feuding with Al Azhar on how to bring about reforms

There is a blistering feud over who speaks for Islam and how to bring reforms between politicians and Al Azhar, according to the Associated Press’ Hamza Hendawi, Lee Keath, and Mariam Fam. The report says pro-government media is accusing Al Azhar of “failing to modernize its teaching to counter militant thought that breeds jihadi movements and violence.” Hendawi, Keath, and Fam say, “Although it is traditionally touted as the bastion of moderate Islamic thought, it is also conservative in instinct — wary of new ideas and debate, and fixated on maintaining authority. It vehemently condemns militant attacks and denounces extremist thinkers as perverting Islam. But critics say it is plagued by the same sort of literalism and adherence to historic texts of interpretation that radicals thrive on and that feed intolerance and discrimination against women and minorities, including Christians.”