Egyptian MP calls for global anti-terrorism fund

CAIRO – 31 October 2019: Parliament member Abdel Moneim Al-Eleimy suggested that the international community agrees on establishing an international fund to face and eliminate terrorism worldwide.

In an interview with Egypt Today, Eleimi said that Egypt has fought terrorism over the past years and has spent much money in this regard, on behalf of the world, referring to the regional and international threats terrorism poses.

Eleimi said that the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Egypt has designated as terrorist since 2013 and has been fighting its alleged allies, has elements who belong to them in many other countries.

He urged establishing this international fund, saying that the Muslim Brotherhood elements worldwide pose danger to all these states, which requires collaboration to confront this threat and stop its funding resources.

Egypt, especially North Sinai, has been hit by frequent terrorist attacks, from time to time, since the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The former MB leader died earlier this year during trial.

In February 2018, and under the title "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018," Egyptian army in cooperation with police forces launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the hotbeds of terrorists nationwide especially in Northern and Central Sinai.

Sinai, in particular, has been a staging ground for militants operating in Egypt for decades. It is also believed to be home to the Islamic State’s (IS) Egyptian branch, which has been primarily targeting civilians and security forces.

Addressing the eighth National Youth Forum kicked off in New Cairo in September this year, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said that terrorism would not have succeeded if not supported by some countries.

He referred to terrorism as “cancer” and a “monster” that has gone out of control of the entities that initiated it.

He further noted that weakening the power of the national state is the main goal of terrorism. Terrorism was used for destroying Syria and Libya along with other countries in central Africa, said the president, adding that terrorism is now seeking to undermine the Egyptian state.