September 12, 2001
Source: Agence France Presse
On September 12, 2001, Agence France Presse reported that "The top authority for the world's Sunni Muslims, the imam of Al Azhar, condemned Wednesday the wave of deadly terrorist attacks in the United States as contrary to the Islamic religion." (Al Azhar is a religious and educational institution that is more than 1,000 years old; based in Egypt, it issues opinions on matters of concern to Sunni Muslims around the world.) Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi's statement noted, "'Al Azhar is opposed to terrorism, whatever its source and the place' where it is carried out, the imam said. 'Islam is a religion which rejects violence and bloodletting.'"