Egypt's Sheik Tantawi, Head of Al Azhar, Dies

According to the New York Times, Egypt's chief religious official, Sheik Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, died yesterday during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He was 81. As head of Egypt's most prestigious center of Islamic learning, Al Azhar, Tantawi held sway over government policy on which books and films should be banned. He worked with President Hosni Mubarak's government to enforce moderate interpretations of Islam, and was sometimes criticized for giving religious legitimacy to the government. Last year he banned female students at Al Azhar from wearing full face veils. (See prior posting.) Tantawi strongly condemned the 9-11 attacks and the 2005 London subway attacks. (See prior posting.) Tantawi's willingness to interact with Israelis made him a controversial figure.