Dr. Shawky Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, was chosen by the French magazine Jeune Afrique among the 15 most influential religious leaders in Africa.

The French magazine said: “Dr. Shawky Allam, held the position of the Grand Mufti of Egypt since February 2013. He comes as the 19th mufti in the history of the honorable al-Azhar institution which is considered the highest Sunni religious authority. This is in addition to the political role he undertakes as his counseling is necessary before executing the verdict of capital punishment against any of the 89 million Egyptians”.

The magazine further added: “Choosing the Grand Mufti comes in accordance to the accredited criteria for the influence of religious leaders, the number of those embracing the religion, the number of the followers of this leader and those influenced by his decisions. This is whether the religious leader represents a moral value, political or economic influence.”