Sunni scholars who left Afghanistan hope Islam's tolerant message survives Taliban

Shawki Abuzeid, Egyptian cleric and head of Al-Azhar's mission to Afghanistan, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Cairo, Egypt, August 29, 2021. Picture taken August 29, 2021. REUTERS/Sayed Sheasha

CAIRO (Reuters) - Clerics from Egypt's ancient seat of Sunni study Al-Azhar, who spent years teaching in Afghanistan and were planning to open an education centre for girls, hope their tolerant message of Islam will survive the return of the Taliban.

The 1,‮0‬00 year-old institution had opened a mission in Kabul in 2007, promoting what its clerics describe as Islam's peaceful tradition in a country where guerrillas have used religion as a justification for fighting for decades.