 Following Nasser 's death in 1970 , Anwar Sadat became President of Egypt . Sadat wished to restore al @-@ Azhar as a symbol of Egyptian leadership throughout the Arab world , saying that " the Arab world cannot function without Egypt and its Azhar . " Recognizing the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood , Sadat relaxed several restrictions on the Brotherhood and the ulema as a whole . However , in an abrupt about @-@ face , in September 1971 a crackdown was launched on journalists and organizations that Sadat felt were undermining or attacking his positions . As part of this effort to silence criticism of his policies , Sadat instituted sanctions against any of the ulema who criticized or contradicted official state policies . The ulema of al @-@ Azhar continued to be used as a tool of the government , sparking criticism among several groups , including Islamist and other more moderate groups . Shukri Mustafa , an influential Islamist figure , accused the ulema of providing religious judgments for the sole purpose of government convenience . When Sadat needed support for making peace with Israel , which the vast majority of the Egyptian population regarded as an enemy , al @-@ Azhar provided a decree stating that the time had come to make peace . 
