Source：West Asia and Africa, No.1, 2025

Abstract: As a religious and academic educational institution based on mosques, and with a vast educational network, Al - Azhar plays an important role in contemporary Egyptian domestic and foreign affairs. In contemporary Egyptian diplomacy, the government not only uses Al - Azhar to enhance the legitimacy of its foreign policy, but also exercises control over it, thus leading to the relationship of cooperation and struggle between the two sides throughout contemporary Egyptian diplomacy. However, there are certain differences in their relationships between dfferent historical periods. During the Nasser period, when the Egyptian government pursued a strict policy of separation of religion and politics, secularism and Arab nationalism were in a dominated position, Al - Azhar became an important part of official Islam and served and worked in line with Egypt ' s foreign policy. During the Sadat period , Al - Azhar continued to provide religious legitimacy for Egypt ' s foreign policy, but because Sadat ' s peaceful diplomatic strategy was not widely recognized in Egypt and the Arab Islamic world, Al - Azhar ' s behavior of defending the government also had certain negative influence on itself. During Mubarak ' s time , the need to balance the radical Islamic forces increased Al - Azhar ' s autonomy, in the meantime, Al - Azhar continued to serve Egyptian diplomacy, and played an important role in Mubarak ' s diplomatic adjustments. In short, in contemporary Egyptian diplomacy, although the status and role of Al - Azhar is different in particular historical periods, Al - Azhar has always played the role of diplomatic service provider, supporter, cooperator and supplier under the overall framework of the separation of religion and politics under the leadership of the Egyptian government.

Keywords: Egyptian diplomacy; Al – Azhar; relationship between politics and religion; Islam; national interest