New Sheikh Al-Azhar Won't Quit NDP

I'm still on both the Spring issue deadline and in the midst of a major staff turnover, so posting is likely to be short and sweet (well, at least short), and mostly links, for a few days.

Here's one: Sheikh Al-Tayyib, the newly named Sheikh al-Azhar, has declined to agree to calls for him to resign from the ruling National Democratic Party. Quote: "It is not expected that the grand sheikh--or any other government official--oppose the regime." Well, true as far as it goes, but sometimes the Sheikhs al-Azhar have at least pretended to some independence despite being appointed (since the Nasser era) by the President; and non-membership in the ruling party does not equate to opposition to the regime in countries with real multi-party systems.

There's really nothing to see here; the position is clearly an official one and has been for decades; the new Sheikh just sees no reason even to go through the motions to pretend otherwise.