Dr. Ibrahim Negm, the Senior Advisor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, stressed that radicalism and terrorism know no religion or homeland and said that they are perpetrated by sick minds, distorted logic and dark hearts. He added that the international community must stand united against extremism.

Addressing the members of the European Parliament, Dr. Negm added that the craft of fatwa is one of the most important duties of recognized official religious institutions such asEgypt's Dar al-Ifta. He added that fatwas and muftis act as the bridge between Islamic inherited knowledge and contemporary reality.

Dr. Negm said that unqualified non-specialists who issue fatwas without the requisite sound religious knowledge is one of the phenomena that may explain the spread of radicalism. He added that the spread of this deviant behavior and fatwa chaos have paved the way for the non-Islamic radical interpretations of Islamic texts.

Dr. Negm elucidated the efforts of Dar al-Ifta` to deconstruct extremist ideologies both through electronic means, published books and articles as well as by participating in several international conferences on the means to combat extremist ideologies. Dar al-Ifta` also established a monitoring observatory to deconstruct deviant ideologies.

Dr. Negm concluded by confirming that true religious scholars and recognized Islamic institutions stand firm against such exploitative practices that seek to achieve political gains under the pretext of religion.