CAIRO, September 30, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – France has sought cooperation with Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, in qualifying Muslim imams, according to French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy.

During talks with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi Thursday, September 29, Douste-Blazy urged the enhancement of cooperation between Al-Azhar and the French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM), the official representative body of the French Muslim minority, in qualifying and educating imams to avoid using religion for political purposes.

"We seek qualifying Muslim preachers to avoid using religion in achieving political purposes," the French official told reporters, following meeting with Tantawi.

"For this, France has requested the CFCM leader Dalil Boubakeur to coordinate with Al-Azhar on qualifying the Muslim preachers."

The issue of imams training has also taken central stage in Europe.

The French government has put forward an initiative to educate newcomers about the history of secularism in France.

German Integration Minister Marieluise Beck has further released a 20-point strategy recommending that imams coming to Germany should have a knowledge of the German language and society.

The high-level French official underlined the need to boost cooperation between the religious bodies in educating Muslim imams to help "combat terror" and enhance dialogue between civilizations.

Douste-Blazy, who made a one-day visit to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials, also hailed the role of Al-Azhar in enhancing dialogue between civilizations and undermining efforts to use religion in achieving political purposes.

He stressed rejection to efforts of some people to play the card of religion to achieve certain political goals by propagating a clash of civilization between the East and the West.

The French foreign minister denied that the French secularism has been an obstacle to the Muslim minority to practice their religious rituals.

"The 4.5 million-strong Muslim minority in France practice their religious rituals with full freedom," he stressed.

Boubakeur echoed a similar stance.

"The French authorities allow full freedom for French Muslims to practice their religious rituals."

He further described French President Jacques Chirac as a "friend of Islam" for his strong cooperation with the Muslim minority in France.

Tantawi, on his part, expressed support to the demand of the French official to enhance dialogue among civilizations.

"Islam calls for cooperation between Muslims and non-Muslims to spread the concepts of understanding and peace," Sheikh Tantawi said.

Well-placed sources have told IOL late August that the French Ministry of Interior has backtracked on plans that would have seen “radical” imams deported en masse and opted for a case-by-case evaluation.

Earlier in the month, the French Council of Imams stopped deportation procedures of a French imam of Tunisian origin, who was blacklisted for expulsion by the ministry.