Iman Chairman welcomes Egyptian President's call for religious reform

Egyptian President Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi recently gave a speech to religious scholars and clerics calling for “religious discourse that is in keeping with the times.”

“We need to revolutionise our religion,” the President said. He warned that “the Islamic nation is being torn apart and destroyed” by extremism, and argued that Muslims themselves bore responsibility for reversing this trend of conflict and radicalisation.

Iman Chairman Ribal Al-Assad welcomed President Al-Sisi’s speech, saying that the Egyptian President’s stance set an example for other Middle Eastern leaders to follow.

“President al-Sisi’s should be heeded by religious and political leaders across the Muslim world,” Ribal said. “For much too long, leaders of the Islamic world have been complacent about or complicit in the growth of extremism and sectarianism in their communities.

“As President Al-Sisi has said, this has led to a situation in which the Islamic world is being torn apart and destroyed. This has had terrible effects not only on the lives of individual Muslims but also on the peace and security of the entire world.

“It is high time that leaders in the Muslim world take heed of President Al-Sisi’s call to action and work together to counter the forces of hatred and extremism and help heal the wounds that they have caused. The peace of the world depends upon it.”