Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Shawki Allam, received the Netherlands ambassador to Cairo, Mr. Laurens Westhoff, in his office at Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta this morning over cancelling Prophet Muhammad’s racist cartoon competition announced earlier by the Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders.

Mr. Westhoff clarified to Dr. Allam that Wilders does not represent the Netherlands government and people who abhor such provocative actions. “The Dutch Prime Minister stressed that dialogue is the best way to respond to such provocative crises,” Westhoff said.

Form his part, the Grand Mufti confirmed the necessity of unifying the efforts to enact an international law that criminalizes disdaining Sanctities and religious symbols. “Such racist calls raised by the far-right every now and then lead to divisions and fuel tensions in communities,” Dr. Allam concluded.