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International Anti-Extremism Committee Calls for Exchange of Information with Al-Azhar over Terrorism Issues | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Security guards stand near the site of an attack that killed at least 26 people in Minya, Egypt May 26, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany


Cairo – A delegation from the UN Security Council Counter-Extremism Committee praised the role of Al Azhar Observatory in combating extremism and terrorism.

The delegation, which is currently on a visit to Egypt, has met with a number of Egyptian officials and stressed the need to promote cooperation with the Observatory, and to exchange information pertaining to terrorism crimes.

In parallel, the US State Department has listed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on the terror list, which includes around 70 organizations around the world.

In its annual report on terrorism, the State Department pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood was founded in the seventies of the last century, and was one of the largest terrorist groups in Egypt.

According to the report, the Brotherhood established the “Construction and Development” Party in 2011, which ran in the parliamentary elections in the same year, and won 13 seats.

Meanwhile, the visiting UN delegation, headed by its Executive Director Jean-Paul Laborde, said that Al Azhar observatory was one of the pillars for fighting terrorism and extremism in the Middle East region.

In this regard, the delegation underlined the importance of boosting bilateral cooperation and exchanging information with the observatory on terror-linked crimes.

The delegation members also stressed the key role assumed by the observatory inside Egypt and the region in fighting the extremist ideology and exposing the misinterpreted and misguided messages promoted by extremists.

They also praised Egypt’s central role in improving security and stability in the Middle East, especially in light of the surge of terrorism.