Brussels— On Thursday April 27, King Philippe met with Egypt's Grand Mufti Dr. Shawki Allam in Brussels to discuss what Egypt and its religious institutions can be doing to counter extremist ideas. During their special meeting, King Philippe of Belgium said that Dr. Shawki Allam is one of the most recognized Islamic religious voices in the world and enjoys considerable acceptance within the scholarly and cultural circles worldwide. He also pointed out that Dr. Allam possesses great capabilities and experiences to connect the dots of ‘high' and ‘low' activism with other world religions. King Philippe said, "I am an admirer of everything that he writes on issues of interfaith dialogue and coexistence, and the means of combating extremism and terrorism." The king had offered an open invitation to the Grand Mufti to give public lectures in Belgium on the true teachings of Islam as part of its efforts to open channels of communication with prominent religious leaders around the world. King Philippe also appreciated the great role played by the Egypt's Fatwa House (or Dar al-Ifta) in raising global awareness of the Islamic religion, and for its influential and tangible role in the Egyptian society. Ending the meeting, the king thanked Dr. Allam for visiting Belgium, hoping for more visits of interaction between the two sides.
