Omar Amer: Al-Azhar is duly respected and appreciated

Al-Azhar is a great institution that is duly appreciated and respected by all, presidential spokesman Omar Amer said on Wednesday, noting that the Presidency does not interfere in its affairs. President Mohamed Morsi has been closely following up the problem of the mass poisoning of Azhar students since the very first moment, that is why he was keen to visit the sick students personally yesterday to inquire after their health and make sure that they receive all needed health care, said Amer. Over 500 students of an Azhar university dormitory were poisoned due to having a lunch meal not fit for human consumption. As for an ensuring Azhar University students' crisis, Al-Azhar Supreme Council, earlier in the day, decided holding elections for choosing a new Azhar University president. At an emergency meeting, under Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayyeb, the Council decided to call for elections for the post in line with what happened in other Egyptian universities after the January revolution. A committee will be formed to set the rules of elections and refer a report on this score to the Council within two weeks.