Egypt's Grand Imam seeks Iraqi unity

Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb has called on the Iraqi government maintain national unity, amid fears of sectarian violence. Speaking after his meeting with Mufti of Iraq Sheikh Rafi Rifai in Cairo, Tayeb condemned the recent increase in car bomb attacks across the country, adding that such atrocities serve "foreign interests." The senior Muslim scholar urged his fellow clerics from Sunni and Shiite sects to come together and issue an Islamic ruling to ban violence and criminal activity. The Egyptian sheikh also called on the people of Iraq confront the any attempts aimed at fuelling civil war in the country. "The Iraqi government should not adopt the approach of systematic exclusion pursued against specific components of the Iraqi community," he emphasised. Tayeb said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League must perform their  role by investigating the systematic killing of Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad. Iraqi cleric Rifai praised Tayeb for his leadership of Sunni people around the world. He also expressed his hope that the Islamic institution would open its doors for Iraqi students to study the moderate approach adopted by Egypt's leading Islamic university.