Egypt’s grand mufti in Pakistan to support anti-terror religious decree

Egypt’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday. (Photo/Neo Network)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday met with Egypt’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, who arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a five-day official visit.
Allam is visiting at the invitation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to support Paigham-e-Pakistan, a religious decree signed in January by 1,829 clerics from all Islamic schools of thought, declaring all forms of terrorism as un-Islamic.
“We’ve invited him to endorse the decree,” ministry spokesman Imran Siddiqui told Arab News.
“There is a series of meetings and conferences that the grand mufti will attend. He’ll give a speech at the Islamic Ideology Council today (Wednesday).”
The decree against terrorism is aimed at countering the narrative of proscribed groups and militant factions that have long preached their own religious brand and ideology to recruit young and impressionable minds.
“Extremists had a religious-based narrative. It was attracting and confusing people, enabling radical groups to amass supporters,” said Dr. Zia-ul-Haq, director of the General Islamic Research Institute.
“A large number of people were getting perplexed about their own faith, and the situation was becoming quite alarming.”
It took great effort to form a “united front” while drafting the decree, but state intervention made all religious schools set aside their differences, he added.
Allam’s visit follows that of Dr. Saleh bin Muhammad Al-Talib, imam at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, who gave his support to the 49-page decree, which was drafted at Islamabad’s request and includes a roadmap to deal with militancy.
The Arabic translation of the decree will be unveiled by Allam in Islamabad on Thursday at an interfaith conference hosted by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, said Siddiqui.
The translation will also be presented to the civil-military leadership by the grand mufti, who is scheduled to meet the prime minister, senior government officials and religious scholars.
Allam is expected to lead the Friday prayer at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, visit Behra Sharif and travel to Lahore. He is likely to attend the Pakistan Day parade on March 23.