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Al-Azhar Imam leads prayer for Egypt's security

CAIRO: Top Muslim cleric Mohammed Sayed al-Tantawi, the grand Imam of Al-Azhar, led holiday prayers on Saturday urging God to protect Egypt from "troubles" following the worst sectarian clashes here in 20 years.

Sheikh Tantawi, Sunni Islam's highest authority, gave his sermon at Mubarak Mosque in Ismailiya in front of President Hosni Mubarak and top army officers on the first day of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival ending the holy month of Ramazan.

"We implore God to fill the coming days with peace and protect our Egypt," Tantawi said. "We ask God to give our country peace and security and put us far from all the troubles that are known or those that are still hidden."

He did not refer directly to the sectarian clashes in the southern town of Kosheh, where at least 19 Coptic Christians and one Muslim were killed on Sunday, but his message of peace came as government newspapers reported on Kosheh daily.

"The festivals of Islam (Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha) were granted by God to renew love and friendship between people of this nation," said Sheikh Tantawi, whose remarks were carried by state television.

Adha follows the annual pilgrimmage to Makka, which takes place in around two months.

The Interior ministry said on Thursday that four Muslims from Kosheh had been arrested for allegedly murdering Copts as the government investigates the violence. AFP