CAIRO: A leading Sunni imam called Monday for an ideological battle against Daesh militants, including the deployment and training of moderate clerics in Europe to counter extremist thought.
“It primarily requires an intellectual treatment,” Abbas Shoman, the deputy sheikh of Egypt’s Al-Azhar institute, told AFP.
“It should not be limited to security treatment,” he said.
The cleric said Al-Azhar had advised French officials before Friday’s Paris attacks that moderate clerics were needed in France.
Al-Azhar’s head, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, condemned the bloody attacks that were claimed by Daesh, describing them as contrary to religion.
“The problem is, those who control religious discourse, they and their stances should be reviewed,” Shoman said.
“You must be certain that those in charge of religious discourse are not helping in the spread of terrorism,” he said.
Shoman said Al-Azhar has little presence in Europe, but the numbers of Europeans who have joined Daesh pointed to the presence of extremist preaching in the continent.
“You will find that these people lack in (Islamic) education, and have not been religious for long, and yet they consider what they’re doing is jihad,” he added.
Shoman, who described coalition air strikes against Daesh as “not serious” and warned against “punishing civilians,” said Al-Azhar could send clerics to France, or train them, to counter extremists.
“You have to open the path for moderate clerics, and Azhar is ready,” he said.
“And if we can’t guide the terrorists, at least we can protect other” Muslims.
Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces shot dead 24 Daesh militants in central Sinai, 70 km from the crash site of the Russian passenger plane the group claimed it brought down, security sources said on Monday.
Security sources said they killed the militants as they hid inside a cave in a mountainous area and that they arrested eight of them.
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Al-Azhar imam urges anti-terror ideological battle
Al-Azhar imam urges anti-terror ideological battle
Hamas says technocratic committee key to consolidating Gaza truce
- A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting
GAZA: A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting.
Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that would operate under the overall supervision of a so-called “Board of Peace,” to be chaired by US President Donald Trump.
“The formation of the committee is a step in the right direction,” said Bassem Naim, a senior leader in the Palestinian Islamist movement.
“This is crucial for consolidating the ceasefire, preventing a return to war, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis and preparing for comprehensive reconstruction,” he said.
Hamas has exercised total control over public life in Gaza since 2007.
It has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in Gaza and would limit its involvement to monitoring governance.
Naim said Hamas was ready to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to the national transitional committee and to facilitate its work.
“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,” he said.
He urged them to counter what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to “stall or obstruct” the next stages of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Gaza has been split by a so-called “Yellow Line,” marking the boundary between territory controlled by Hamas and areas under Israeli military authority.
Washington’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Wednesday the ceasefire had moved into its second stage.
Key elements of the second stage include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the demilitarization of the territory including the disarmament of Hamas, and steps to address the humanitarian crisis through accelerated aid deliveries and reconstruction.
The US-proposed Board of Peace is expected to be led on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
Media reports say Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.
Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that would operate under the overall supervision of a so-called “Board of Peace,” to be chaired by US President Donald Trump.
“The formation of the committee is a step in the right direction,” said Bassem Naim, a senior leader in the Palestinian Islamist movement.
“This is crucial for consolidating the ceasefire, preventing a return to war, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis and preparing for comprehensive reconstruction,” he said.
Hamas has exercised total control over public life in Gaza since 2007.
It has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in Gaza and would limit its involvement to monitoring governance.
Naim said Hamas was ready to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to the national transitional committee and to facilitate its work.
“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,” he said.
He urged them to counter what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to “stall or obstruct” the next stages of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Gaza has been split by a so-called “Yellow Line,” marking the boundary between territory controlled by Hamas and areas under Israeli military authority.
Washington’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Wednesday the ceasefire had moved into its second stage.
Key elements of the second stage include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the demilitarization of the territory including the disarmament of Hamas, and steps to address the humanitarian crisis through accelerated aid deliveries and reconstruction.
The US-proposed Board of Peace is expected to be led on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
Media reports say Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.
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