By Stanley Onyekwere
To help facilitate efforts towards the eradication of extremism in the country, a team of professors from the renowned Dar a-il-Ta institute of Egypt, is to engage inter-faith leaders and youth groups on how to tackle the menace.
The Egyptian delegation from the institution, which has been working towards the de-radicalization of Muslims across the globe, came into Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Sunday, for a four-day visit.
The delegation is made up of the institute’s director of training
programme, Dr. Amr el-Wirdany, Senior Mofti and member of Fatwa Council, Dr. Mohammed Khedr, and Head of the Department of Islamic Legal Research.
While in the country, the team will be paying courtesy calls on the Presidency, and Kaduna state governor, and have interactive sessions with selected religious leaders, including a meeting with the management of national Mosque and leaders of different organisations, in Abuja and Kaduna respectively.
Receiving the teams on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Special Adviser to the President on Islamic affairs, Barrister Tahir Umar, said their visit would bolster efforts towards curbing acts of extremism in the country.
He noted that the administration has rolled out many programmes to counter terrorism and insurgency in the country.
“We are very happy to receive the institute. We have planned out some activities and programmes for them, so that we would be able to exchange ideas with the members of the delegation and Nigeria intellectuals.
The Egyptian ambassador to Nigeria, Ashraf Salama, who led the team, said it is a delegation of peace, for inter-faith dialogue and religious tolerance, to show how Islam is a tolerant religion as well.
He said: “We really treasure our Nigerian brothers and sisters, because we really feel we are one; we are Africans, we have strong ties and history.
“We have the same structure like Nigeria, as we have Christians and Muslims in Egypt; so we do have a lot in common, but we have lived in harmony with other religions, we are always together. So we really need to share that experience.”
The Dar a-il-Ta institute is the oldest institution for the Fatwa in the world, and most of the Moftis in the world have learned from the institute.
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