Yesterday, the conference of the Supreme Islamic Council entitled “the Dangers of Takfīrī thought and fatwás produced without knowledge on national interests and international relations”   was inaugurated. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtār Gum´ah, Minister of Endowments, stated ”to all lovers of peace in the word, we make this statement from Egypt of the Azhar, rejecting all forms of extremism. We send the message of moderacy and peace which the Azhar carries”. He added that “this conference is held in a critical moment in Egypt´s history and the Arab world in general. This period has witnessed extremist thoughts and  fatwás made without knowledge and politicization of religion. For this reason we want to avoid the use of the religious call and fatwás in political issues, sectarian or partisan conflicts. Ahmad al- Tayyib, Shaykh of the Azhar, stated that “our societies did not know of extremism until the 1970s in which groups in prison have started declaring the society apostates (takfīr) due to the violence used against them”. He added that they are giving a bad view of Islam and the Azhar is committed to unite the views of the Islamic scholars in the ummah (Islamic community) (al- Shaymā´Abd al- Latīf, al- Tahrīr, March 26, p. 6).