Egypt's Grand Mufti, Nazir Mohamed Ayad, met with a delegation from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's anti-terrorist body during an official visit to Uzbekistan [1].
The meeting signals a strategic effort to align religious authority with international security frameworks to neutralize extremist threats across Central Asia and the Middle East.
Ayad met with representatives from the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, known as RATS [1]. The discussions focused on developing closer cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism, while also addressing the rise of Islamophobia [1].
During the talks, Ayad outlined Egypt's specific approach to countering extremist ideology. He said that addressing extremism requires religious efforts to dismantle the theological justifications used by militant groups [1].
The collaboration seeks to bridge the gap between security operations and ideological reform. By engaging with the SCO, Egypt aims to export its model of religious moderation to a broader geopolitical region, one that spans from the borders of China to the heart of Central Asia [1].
Ayad said the necessity of a coordinated response to prevent the spread of radicalism is critical. The delegation from RATS discussed how integrated intelligence and religious guidance can serve as a dual defense against instability [1].
“Addressing extremism requires religious efforts”
This engagement highlights Egypt's ambition to position itself as a primary intellectual and religious authority in the fight against global terrorism. By partnering with the SCO's RATS, Egypt is moving beyond bilateral diplomacy to integrate its counter-extremism strategies into a multilateral security architecture that includes major Eurasian powers.
