Grand Imam of Egypt's leading Islamic authority, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, said on Tuesday that Al-Azhar does not have any political affiliations.

“The Azhar is not linked to any political party. Its message, on the national level, is to maintain peace among all Egyptians.”

The moderate Sunni cleric added, “On the international level, the Islamic institute seeks achieving peace between Islam and the Western world.”

Al-Tayyeb emphasized that, “Azhar protects the nation, Sharia (Islamic law) and Egyptians; both Muslims and Christians. The world’s leading religious institute keeps the same distance from all political currents.”

The Grand Sheikh announced that al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning, will launch a new satellite channel soon.

He explained that this step will be taken in order to create a platform for the correction of misconceptions and Fatwas (influential legal opinions that interpret Sharia) that are not in line with moderate Islam.