(AFP File Photo)
Egypt’s Ministry of Endowments has stressed the importance to find “solutions” to confront the rise of Sunni extremist group the Islamic State (ISIS).
The ministry on Sunday condemned the actions of the militant group, comparing it to the Tatars who conducted brutal raids in Europe in the 13th century. The ministry accused ISIS of being “disinterested in humanity”, tampering with dead bodies, “torture, which is forbidden in Islam” and “cutting necks and throwing bodies to the side of heads, or no heads at all”.
The statement alleges that “Zionist hands” are behind the rise of the militant group.
The ministry stressed: “We must look for solutions that would eliminate the phenomena”, adding that it “has become a phenomenon worthy of study and addressing”. The ministry said the solutions must aim to “uproot” the group and stressed the need for cooperation between “religious, scientific, intellectual, social and cultural” institutions in order to “detect the dimensions of this imminent danger” as well as to find out who funds and supports the group “because it is very dangerous”.
ISIL launched an offensive in June in Iraq, having fought in Syria and Iraq for two years, taking the Iraqi military and the rest of the world by surprise. Gaining control of Iraqi military bases and United States military equipment the group laid claim to large parts of Iraq.
The group has released two videos showing the beheading of two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The executioner of the two journalists threatened to behead a third man, believed to be a British aid worker, if US airstrikes on the group continues.
The Egyptian foreign ministry said in August that the advance of ISIS threatens the whole region.
Last week Egyptian religious institution Dar Al-Ifta condemned the beheading of Sotloff, describing it as “barabaric”.
The issue is expected to be discussed by the Arab League Council of Foreign Ministers held on Sunday. The meeting comes in the wake of a call by US President Barack Obama for Arab states to assist in the effort to “destroy” ISIS.
