French president in anti-extremism talks with Al-Azhar imam
PARIS – The French president has met with the grand imam of the prestigious Sunni Muslim centre of learning Al-Azhar to share views on the fight against extremism.
The presidency said Francois Hollande detailed France’s priorities on the issue and that French authorities welcomed Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib efforts to combat radicalism.
Earlier Tuesday, the Cairo-based grand imam went to the Bataclan concert hall to pay tribute to the victims of the attacks carried out by Islamic extremists that left 130 dead on Nov. 13.
A French government plan presented this month includes the creation of de-radicalization facilities in every region by 2017.
El-Tayyib came to Paris to open a Muslim-Catholic conference on East-West relations, after a meeting with Pope Francis on Monday that reopened an important channel for inter-religious dialogue.
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