An Egyptian delegation is set to participate in a Wednesday meeting that aims to combat extremist thoughts and draft media strategies for the international anti-Islamic State group coalition in Washington, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry read. The statement comes just hours before the arrival of Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Washington who will take part in the main foreign ministers at a later time. In the statement, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said he would be heading the Egyptian delegation, which will include the Grand Mufti's aide, Ibrahim Negm, and will be the first time the country's Dar El-Ifta has been included in a delegation for such meetings. According to Abu Zeid, efforts exerted by Dar Al-Ifta in the field of fighting extremism, resisting extremist ideologies being spread on social media, and the posting of edicts that aim to falsify militant Islamic groups' religious discourse would be presented. In 2015, the country's religious authority established a unit that focuses on monitoring jihadist and extremist edicts through their media outlets In May, Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta warned against a reported android application that was made by the Islamic State group that is geared towards children. The religious authority said the application aimed to recruit children from an early age. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has previously stressed the importance of countering terrorists' use of social media and electronic websites to promote extremist ideas and attract new members.
