Egyptian President Abdelfattah El-sisi during the American Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia (Photo: Al-Ahram)
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told the Arab Islamic American Conference in Riyadh on Sunday that eradicating terrorism means putting an end to sources of financial and ideological support for terrorists.
“There are countries involved in financing terrorist organisations and providing them safe haven,” the president said, adding that some countries refuse to share information they have about terrorist activity “even with Interpol.”
The president told the summit, which was attended by leaders from various Islamic countries and US President Donald Trump, that all terrorist groups need to be targeted without prejudice, describing terrorist organisations “as cancerous cells connected by various links throughout the world.”
President El-Sisi said that a complete confrontation of terrorism means confronting countries that supply, train, arm and provide political and ideological cover to terrorists.
“Today's meeting reflects our determination to renew the partnership of Arab and Islamic countries and the United States, and proves the fallacy of the illusions of the ‘clash of civilisations,’ through establishing the primacy of the values of tolerance, accepting the other and respecting his right in being different,” El-Sisi said.
“Egypt has been involved in a ferocious war against terrorist groups in North Sinai. We are achieving good results in eradicating terrorism while safeguarding the lives of civilians,” the president said.
El-Sisi also said that over the past two years, Egypt and Al-Azhar have been undertaking efforts to renew religious discourse in the country with the aim of bringing about an intellectual revolution that reflects the peaceful essence of Islam.
The president also stressed the importance of ensuring the stability of state institutions in the Arab world as a means of fighting terrorism.
“Over the past few years, Egypt has provided a historic model in reclaiming [the identity] of its national state through the actualisation of overwhelming popular will, which rejected the hijacking of the deep-rooted Egyptian state.”
El-Sisi praised President Trump’s vision and decisive policies in facing terrorism.
“I have no doubt that the United States’ contribution will bring about the qualitative change needed in the fight against terrorism,” El-Sisi said.
El-Sisi also asked the summit for a timeframe for presenting a comprehensive strategy to “eradicate” terrorism from its roots.
El-Sisi said that that the Riyadh summit reflects “our determination to renew our partnership with all countries.”
"We understand the value of cooperation, tolerance, acceptance of the other, and the need to confront terrorism," the president said.
El-Sisi added that efforts to fight and eradicate terrorism will not be successful without a permanent and fair solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution.
The president said that solving the Palestinian issue would bring “peace and prosperity” to the region, adding that terrorists often use the situation in Palestine as a justification for their crimes.
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