Islamic Sharia is based on tolerance and justice

The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Monday inaugurated Al-Azhar Conference Centre at Nasr City.

The President was briefed on the various parts of the international centre and inspected the main lobby.

Grand Imam of Al Azhar Dr. Tantawi welcomed the President and the attending officials, saying the 1,000-year-old Azhar aims at imparting useful and enlightened knowledge to students who represent more than 90 world countries.

"The Islamic Sharia (law) is based on tolerance and justice and considers that all people come from one father and one mother. It protects mankind from any aggression and orders its followers to extend a hand of peace to everyone," he added.

"The stance of Al Azhar regarding the September 11 attacks on the United States was derived from Sharia", he said, referring to A1 Azhar's denunciation of such brutal crime and its call for the need to put the perpetrators on trial.

"However, the innocent people should not be punished," he emphasized.

Dr. Tantawi presented a copy of the Holy Koran to the President as a souvenir.

The centre, which cost L.E 60 million, comprises a large conference hall that can accommodate 2,000 people. The hall is equipped with the latest simultaneous interpretation of all languages.

The centre also includes 500-person capacity chambers with which allowing the convention of more than one conference at the same time.