Grand Shayhk of the Azhar Ahmad al-Tayīb said that the salafists are "the khawārij of the age," warning of a "plot to hijack the 1,000-year-old moderate approach of the Azhar."

He criticized the salafists' attacks on shrines, saying the incidents run counter to the true spirit of Islam.

Tayīb's remarks came during a demonstration by the Azhar students of different nationalities on Monday (April 4, 2011) to support the top Sunni establishment's position.