Abstract
After 10 years as Egyptian state mufti, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi was appointed Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar mosque on 27 March. During his tenure as mufti, Tantawi, 68, advanced a liberal interpretation of Islam that was applauded by some but opposed by others, mainly conservative scholars at the 1,000-year-old Al-Azhar. In the following interview with Amira Howeldy of A1 Ahram, Sheikh Tantawi spells out his position on a number of controversial issues. Commentators, including Nasr Abu Zaid, are optimistic that his appointment to the country's most influential Islamic institution may ameliorate some of its more pressing problems