King Philippe of Belgium said he was looking forward to meeting Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam to discuss what Egypt and its religious institutions can do in the file of fighting extremist ideas.

The king made the remarks during a phone call he initiated with the mufti on Thursday.

King Philippe thanked the mufti for visiting Belgium and denouncing the blasts that hit Brussels on Tuesday.

Allam expressed full solidarity with the Belgian people and all nations struck by terrorism, saying that the horrendous attacks in Brussels prick the conscience of any sane person regardless of their religious identity.

Islam criminalizes and decries all forms of extremism, he stressed. 

The mufti was in Brussels on the day of the attacks. He condemned the terror blasts hours after their occurrence during a speech at the European Parliament. 

Source : MENA