Biggest Islamic university faces global backlash

Ties to political figure shows in lower enrollment numbers.

Al-Azhar University in Egypt is a vast institution with more than 500,000 students and is among the oldest of the world's accredited universities, equal to Oxford and Harvard.

It is renowned particularly for its Islamic theology departments that draw tens of thousands of students from around the globe to study.

Experts say significantly fewer international students are attending these days due to the school's support for Egypt's leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Turkey, Morocco and Malaysia widely oppose Sisi's government, and increasingly criticize the institution for its unyielding support for him.

Hundreds of al-Azhar students have been arrested over the last several years for protesting the administration's ties to Sisi's government.