Muslims should be open to West

Muslims should be open to the West while maintaining the principles of Islam, said Egypt's Mufti Dr. Shawqi Allam on Wednesday.
Muslims should act to become a powerful lobby in the West to correctly convey the image and culture of Islam against the growing Islamophobia campaigns, Allam said at a meeting with Mokhtar Omar Ibrahim, the top adviser at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
He stressed the need to correct the image of Islam, which is being defamed by the West.
The mufti urged the West to realize that Muslims are not seeking isolation from their Western communities. They are rather acting to merge into society while maintaining their identity and rights, he noted.
Allam stressed the need to activate laws that criminalize hate and disdain for religions.
The IPU adviser said Egypt should take the initiative of correcting the image of Islam and renouncing violence.
A set of measures should be taken to renounce terrorism, Ibrahim said, noting that Egypt could do that through its religious institutions, such as the Iftaa House and Al Azhar.
He praised efforts exerted by the Iftaa House and the mufti to counter terrorism and extremist ideologies.
Source: MENA