Al-Azhar, the most important Islamic institution in Egypt and arguably the Middle East, swiftly condemned the December 14th terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia, in which fifteen Jews were murdered by two gunmen ostensibly inspired by violent jihadist ideology. The full statement was posted in Arabic on al-Azhar’s primary website and can be read in English translation here. The statement drew attention to the heroic actions of Aḥmed al-Aḥmed, who was shot while he disarmed one of the gunmen, as a true representation of Islamic values. 

In other news, our team in Cairo has been busy preparing several important pieces for publication on Dialogue Across Borders. Scholar and translator Moḥammed Sayyed Salāma Ibrāhīm, a graduate of al-Azhar University (B.A.) and Hartford International University(M.A.), has written a lengthy review of an important new book critiquing the Salafi movement. Moḥammed’s introduction provides a sense of the book and its significance. 

Sunniva Tunold, who has been interning with us from Norway in recent months, recently travelled to Damascus to report on the first anniversary of the fall of the Asad regime. In her article, Sunniva writes movingly of what she encountered: “I spent five intense days in Damascus, from Friday the 5th to Tuesday the 9th, alongside journalist friends from Europe. We had come to cover the celebrations, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer scale of euphoria—music, fireworks, flags, cars cruising with people dancing on rooftops, dabke, and relentless chanting. Everywhere we went, we were met with warm gazes filled with hope and relief. A historical celebration marking a year since the end of the 14-year-long war and the authoritarian rule, leading many Syrians living abroad to return to their motherland.”

Joëlle Mayorez, a Swiss intern who recently graduated from Saint Joseph University - Beirut, completed a study, “Interfaith Solidarity in Lebanon during the 2024 Israel War,’ which explores through qualitative interviews some of the ways that the recent conflict has led to greater solidarity across religious and sectarian lines. Closer to home, German intern Joanna Krupp, who is studying at the Paris School of International Affairs (Sciences Po), has written a useful overview of Egypt’s new refugee and asylum law. 

We are grateful for the creative and important work our interns from Egypt and around the world do. If you are involved in higher education, please consider infomring your students and recent graduates about the opportunities available to them in Cairo.

Matthew Anderson

Director - Center for Arab-West Understanding

Executive Editor - Dialogue Across Borders (De Gruyter Brill)

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December 16th, 2025