Egyptians refer to the Al-Azhar Sheikh as the “Grand Imam”, and with the presidential decision to appoint a new Sheikh to his position merely being issued begins the debate over the standing of the man, who comes appointed to the post and cannot be removed from it, while the men of Al-Azhar themselves have often put forth opinions in which they have voiced their preference for the Sheikh being elected from among candidates who would be members of the Islamic Research Council. But that is a different issue, as there is now a new Al-Azhar Sheikh, Doctor Ahmed El-Tayeb, who has recently assumed the position, succeeding Doctor Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, who died while present in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Those who opposed Tantawy often hinted to the fact that his stances always agreed with the stances and views of the government in issues in which the government's point of view disagreed with those of any other party, whether such issues were political or religious. Moreover, the late Sheikh had entered into confrontations, at times violent and at others calm, with radical Islamists or even political opposition members due to his opinions and stances, despite his constant care to assert that he had nothing to do with the policies or stances of the government and to stress that his views always agreed with Islam, regardless of the government's opinion of them. This used to happen without there being any relation between Sheikh Tantawy and the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), so one can only imagine what could happen with the new Al-Azhar Sheikh, who is a member of the ruling party's Policy Committee. It is no secret that this committee, headed by the Egyptian President's son, Gamal Mubarak, is the most important of the party's committees and other organizational levels. And inasmuch as it grants its members influence or even presence in politics and in the media, it is certain that the effect of Doctor El-Tayeb remaining a member after assuming the position of Al-Azhar Sheikh will be a negative one for him. And no matter how much the man tries to separate between his new position and his partisan commitment, those who lie in wait will have mechanisms ready for use when needed, especially if the Al-Azhar Sheikh were in the future to support a decision, measure or stance adopted by the ruling party and rejected by opposition forces. Egyptian newspaper Al-Dustour asked the new Al-Azhar Sheikh about this issue immediately after the decision to appoint him was issued. He answered that it was a “personal matter”, a reply indicating his refusal to discuss the issue, and did not show any intention to resign from the NDP, and hence from the Policy Committee. Certainly the Egyptian constitution grants every individual in society the right to engage in political activity, except in the case of members of the police and the army who regain that right if they leave their posts, but the issue remains different for the Al-Azhar Sheikh, considering his religious standing. Indeed, the issue had been a “personal matter”, with no one having the right to question Doctor Tayeb about it, when he headed Al-Azhar University, as academic standing does not at all contradict practicing politics or abstaining from doing so. And when the man stood against a semi-military parade organized by Al-Azhar students affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood on university campus, he based his stance on objective considerations connected to the standing of the university and the limits set on activities within it, and no one mentioned at the time that Doctor Tayeb might have taken such a stance due to his being a member of the ruling party. The situation is different now and the Sheikh has become in a different position, one in which every word, behavior and act on his part will be subject to analysis on the part of his supporters and to interpretation on the part of those who lie in wait for him. The Sheikh might make sure to separate between his religious position and political affiliation, but others will not have to take into consideration his care to make such a separation, if the office of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar finds itself in contradiction with any political party, and the Sheikh will always find himself forced to defend himself with every disputed issue. The new Al-Azhar Sheikh might find it embarrassing to resign from the National Party now, especially as the party's leader is presently on a trip outside of Egypt for medical treatment. Nevertheless, he could take such a step as soon as President Hosni Mubarak returns to the country, even if this seems embarrassing for him. Indeed, it would be much better for him to be subjected to embarrassment once, instead of continuing to feel such embarrassment now and forever.
