Al-Azhar announces Syria support summit

Egypt’s al-Azhar mosque has announced a conference focusing on developments on the ground in Syria, according to a statement on Thursday. The event, entitled Supporting Syria, will take place in the al-Azhar conference hall on Saturday and Sunday and will be attended by scholars and luminaries from Syria and across the Arab world. The conferece will try to “assess the reality of what’s going on in Syria and how to deal with it,” the statement read, adding that delegates would also look into Islamic approaches to the conflict and the chances for a “permanent solution.” Mohamed Abdel Salam Maaty, who will chair Supporting Syria, has announced participants will include Sheikh Mohamed Hassan, Sheikh Hazem Salah Abou Ismail and the head of Egypt’s Salafist Al Raya Party.