"We're not just going to survive. We're going to live our lives," said Bashir Mattar, the mayor of al-Qaa.

"The church should be a place to help the wounded and those who are in battle. We should be willing to stick our necks out and help people who are suffering from this problem."

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said there had been a "touch of sadness" to the meeting.

The vote, an observer worried, was tantamount to a "death sentence" for the church.

"I am here to speak for my unheard sisters of Somalia striving for education every day," she said.

Al-Azhar University is considered the most authoritative theological-academic institution of Sunni Islam.