Grand Mufti of Egypt Nazir Mohamed Ayad met a delegation from the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during his official visit to Uzbekistan to discuss closer cooperation in combating extremism, terrorism and Islamophobia.
During the meeting, Ayad outlined Egypt’s approach to countering extremist ideology, stressing that addressing extremism requires religious guidance, research, public awareness and international cooperation.
He also reviewed the work of Egypt’s Dar al Ifta and its Salam Center for Extremism Studies and Combating Islamophobia, which focuses on research, capacity-building and countering misconceptions about Islam.
The RATS delegation praised Dar Al-Ifta’s efforts in combating extremist ideology and expressed interest in expanding institutional cooperation with the Egyptian side. The delegation also stressed that extremism is a global challenge requiring coordinated international action.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue consultations on joint initiatives, expertise exchange and cooperation between RATS and the Salam Center. The delegation also invited the Grand Mufti to participate in its upcoming international conference.
