Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Monday reviewed the Ministry of Awqaf's (Religious Endowments) efforts to renew religious discourse and combat extremism, his office said in a statement. The president met with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Awqaf Minister Usama Al-Azhari, who presented a report on the ministry's initiatives. Al-Azhari briefed the president on the "Correct Your Concepts" awareness initiative, which he described as a cornerstone of the ministry's strategy to build enlightened religious and societal awareness. The initiative aims to correct misconceptions and counter forms of non-religious extremism that contribute to the decline of values and ethics in society. President Al-Sisi directed the continuous follow-up of the initiative's implementation mechanisms to ensure its national objectives are met, in coordination with state institutions and civil society. The president also followed up on the latest developments in formulating a strategic vision for renewing religious discourse. Al-Azhari explained that the strategy consists of four main pillars: confronting religious extremism in all its forms, confronting all forms of non-religious extremism represented by the decline of values and negative behaviours, human development, and civilization building. The minister presented the "Renewal of Religious Discourse" document, which includes executive measures for each of the previous pillars, aiming to formulate a rational religious discourse that promotes values of peace, security, and tolerance. Al-Azhari also presented the ministry's new digital platform, which is part of its efforts to counter extremist thought and enhance awareness. The platform includes various sections covering different aspects of Islamic and encyclopedic sciences, as well as initiatives to rationalise behaviour and address negative phenomena in society such as bullying, harming people with disabilities, drug abuse, and vandalism of public property. The minister also discussed future plans to develop the platform, including converting its content into visual and audio formats for social media and utilising artificial intelligence technologies. The meeting also covered the latest developments in the "Al-Aswat" (The Voices) competition, which aims to discover the best voices in Quranic recitation, religious invocations, and chanting. The Egyptian President directed continued coordination with the relevant authorities to enhance the capabilities of imams, qualify distinguished personnel capable of facing challenges and improving the level of religious discourse, and develop communication mechanisms, especially in combating extremist thought and consolidating awareness of contemporary issues.
