Among the root causes of the Middle-Eastern backwardness is the Asiatic and fatalistic religious norms that hamper the imagination and freedom of our masses. In that regard, the reconstruction of al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s top authority, should rank high among Egyptian security strategists’ priorities. Al-Azhar, the ancient religious institution it is, borders on antiquated ideals and does not play a constructive role. For a plethora of complex historical reasons, al-Azhar has failed to tread the path taken by European universities that developed from theological and religious institutions into legal ones that have, over time, morphed into secular universities. This evolution of learning is what brought about the renaissance and the scientific revolutions of centuries past and thus launching Western civilization into progress, prosperity and modernity. Al-Azhar in the seventies For more than eight hundred years, the Middle East had been on steady decline that was only exacerbated with the rise of the Ottomans. The initial advantage of Islam, which was opening up its franchise to both Greco-Roman and oriental traditions, gave way to a constricted Islamic thought, one that sanctifies old traditions and knowledge along with a glorification of orthodox Muslim…
