Egypt to participate in Global Coalition against ISIS in London

CAIRO – 4 March 2018: Egypt will participate in a meeting of the liaison strategy group of the Global Coalition against ISIS due to be held on Tuesday in London, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

In pre-departure statement, Abu Zeid underlined the importance of the meeting especially since ISIS have been defeated in Syria and Iraq, referring to the increasing significance of the liaison strategy group in combating extremist ideology during the coming period.

He stated that the meeting is scheduled to be held amid the international consensus on ISIS; the consensus believes that ISIS can only be fully eradicated if its extremist ideas are wiped out first.

Abu Zeid added that the meeting will discuss an intellectual and media plan to confront ISIS and other terrorist organizations by discussing the ways to face extremist dialogue in social media or in secured information networks used by them to recruit, fund or obtain weapons.

The meeting also will focus on how different religious institutions can provide information networks with ideas and dialogue to refute and correct the misconceptions spread by ISIS about Islam.

It will highlight the responsibility of the media and the different roles of journalism to counter terrorism, on paying attention to some journalist coverage that promotes ISIS and other terrorist.

He concluded that Egyptian delegation will review the national vision and efforts exerted by Egypt while facing terrorism during the meeting, referring to the 2018 Sinai comprehensive operation, as well as the role of Al-Azhar institution and Dar Al-Iftaa to confront extremist ideas.

Formed in September 2014, the most recent meeting of the 75 members of Global Coalition was on February 12, 2018, in Kuwait to reaffirm their commitment to defeat ISIS, dismantle its network, prevent the flow of foreign terrorist fighters across borders and combat its ideology.

Additionally, Egypt participated in the meetings of the Group for Strategic Communication in the Global Coalition against ISIS held in Washington between July 11 and 13, 2017.

The meetings included senior officials responsible for combating terrorism from amongst the member states. The working group’s agenda is concerned with the communication strategy regarding combating extremism and considered all important developments with regard to global terrorism, according Abu Zeid.