Islam's oldest university has a new rector. Ending a seven month search Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser picked Sheikh Hassan Mamoun, 70, to head Cairo's Al Azhar ("The Resplendent") University, for 1,000 years the most renowned center of Moslem learning.
Mamoun, a lifetime judge and political power in Nasser's Arab Socialist Union, came out of retirement to take the job. As Grand Mufti of Egypt from 1955 until 1961, he issued thousands of rulings and interpretations on religious matters. As the 39th rector of Al Azhar, Mamoun's responsibilities are even more impressive. The post...
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