Conflict and Cooperation between the State and Religious Institutions in Contemporary Egypt
Author(s)
Moustafa, Tamir
Abstract
This essay investigates the Egyptian government’s efforts to control religious institutions and the impact that government control has had on these institutions’ status in Egyptian society, and then explores how government domination of religious institutions has contributed to the rise of militant Islamist groups. It also explains how al-Azhar, Egypt’s most influential center for Islamic study, has exploited government-Islamist tensions to challenge the government and gain major concessions from the regime. The essay ends with an analysis of recent government-Azhar relations and observations on the paradox of state power and social control.
