Keep off Bahrain, top Egypt cleric tells Iranian President

CAIRO: Egypt's top cleric told visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last night not to interfere in the affairs of Bahrain or other Gulf states, and to uphold the rights of his country's Sunni minority.

Ahmed Al Tayyeb, the grand imam of Cairo's Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, also denounced what he described as the "spread of Shiism in Sunni lands".

Tayyeb, who made the remarks in a statement after meeting Ahmadinejad, demanded "the Iranian president respect Bahrain as a brotherly Arab nation, and not interfere in the affairs of Gulf states".

Ahmadinejad later gave a news conference at Al Azhar in which he said he "came from Iran to say that Egypt and the Egyptian people have their place in the heart of the Iranian people".

But senior Al Azhar cleric Hassan Al Shafie, speaking after Ahmadinejad, launched into a tirade against "some Shi'ites" for insulting some of the Prophet Mohammed's companions as the Iranian president listened with noticeable unease.

"The discussions were frank," Shafie said of Ahaminejad's meeting with Tayyeb.

Earlier, President Mohamed Mursi kissed Ahmadinejad after he landed at Cairo airport and gave him a red carpet reception with military honours. Ahmadinejad beamed as he shook hands with waiting dignitaries.

He is visiting Cairo to attend an Islamic summit that begins today.

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