Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawqy Allam travelled to Brussels, seat of the EU's main institutions, to clarify the role of religious institutions in Egypt and rectify the image of Islam, said a Tuesday statement by Egypt's religious institution Dar Al-Ifta. This image is exposed to deliberate distortion, the statement said. During his visit, Allam met the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy where he stressed that Egypt is a "pivotal state" and that the stability of the Arab region depends on the stability of Egypt. Allam stated that religious institutions, headed by Al-Azhar in Egypt, condemn all sorts of "violence and terrorism" in the name of religion. He also stressed that the actions of the "terrorist" group calling themselves Islamic State (ISIS) are unacceptable in religion. He added that groups using religion as a political ideology make "unqualified" statements about Shariah (Islamic law), and pose a growing challenge to transferring the correct image about Islam. Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament held a session for an Egyptian religious scholar for the first time in its history. The Grand Mufti reviewed the role of Egyptian religious institutions in correcting the image of Islam, and denouncing violence and extremism. Allam held a lecture at the Royal Institute for International Relations and gave interviews to different western media outlets criticising the use of the word "Islamic State" when talking about a "terrorist group" that commits murders and killing in the name of Islam.
