CAIRO — The grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar said on his May 10 Ramadan television program that a wife must not leave the house without her husband’s permission, which he deemed a necessity for the household's stability and cohesion. Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb stressed during his program that it is normal for a wife to ask permission to go out, except when visiting her parents. He added that a woman can only go to work if her husband approves. Otherwise she must remain at home.
Tayeb made another controversial statement May 20, when he said that equality between men and women goes against nature.