Al-Azhar conference asserts terrorist organizations’ practices have no relationship with Islam
CAIRO,(ST)_The participants in Cairo conference on ‘combating terrorism and extremism’ have underscored that all armed groups and sectarian militias have no relationship with true Islam.
“Islam condemn the acts of terrorizing innocent people, killing them and attacking Holy shrines,” the conference’ final statement said, stressing that the Arab world faces an unprecedented state of unrest and chaos due to the emergence of extremist movements.
It added that Muslims and Christians in the East are brothers and they belong to one civilization. “They insist on living together in a sovereign national state that achieves equality among citizens and respects freedoms,” the statement asserted.
The participants agreed that displacement of Christians and people of other religions is a reprehensible and condemnable crime.
They underlined that some officials and intellectuals in the west invest these armed groups to distort the image of Islam.
Israel’s terrorist attacks
On the other hand, the participants censured the terrorist attacks being carried out by the Zionist troops [Israeli troops] against Muslim and Christian Palestinians and against al-Aqsa Mosque.
They called on the International community to put an end to these attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice .
Yesterday, media sources quoted the Head of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb as saying: ” Division, strife, and polarization are the main tactics extremists are using to divide the Islamic nation.”
“Militants are acting “under the guise of this holy religion and have given themselves the name ‘Islamic State’ [ISIS] in an attempt to export their false Islam,” Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb told the opening session of a two-day international conference in Cairo on combating terrorism and extremism.
“I wonder and ask why this blind division exists that has tainted Arab blood,” Sheikh Tayeb said, adding that religious, political and economic factors were behind the emergence of groups such as ISIS.
Sheikh Tayeb called on the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting ISIS “to confront those countries who support terrorism financially and militarily”.
on December 3, The Head of Al-Azhar and Coptic Pope inaugurated the international conference in Cairo, urging a broader action against the militant group operating in Syria and Iraq.
On November 30, Damascus hosted an international conference on ‘combating terrorism and religious extremism’.
http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/news/local/15558-international-conference-on-combating-terrorism-and-extremism-calls-for-prosecuting-terrorism-supporters-and-respecting-state-sovereignty.
Basma Qaddour