Egyptian Islamic institutions condemn ‘terrorist’ attack in France’s Nice

CAIRO – 30 October 2020: Egypt’s Al-Azhar and Grand Mufti have condemned the “terrorist” attack on Thursday’s at a church in the French city of Nice, killing three people, stressing that Islam has nothing to do with such attacks.

The suspect was shot and then arrested following the incident, after he had killed three people, including a person who was virtually beheaded, in the attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the stabbing as an "Islamist terrorist attack".

Egypt’s Mufti Shawqi Allam condemned the attack, affirming that the Islamic Sharia (law) categorically rejects all forms of terrorism, assaults and terrorizing the innocent unjustly, or insulting religious symbols and sanctities; with complete disregard for the teachings of religions, divine laws and international covenants.

The mufti urged peace advocates to assume their key and pivotal role in preserving the security of societies, in addition to enacting laws that prevent extremism in all its forms, criminalize the defamation of religious symbols, and establish bridges of cooperation, peace and mutual respect among all peoples.

Al-Azhar, in an official statement, affirmed that "there is in no way a justification for those hateful terrorist acts that contradict with the tolerant teachings of Islam and all divine religions."

Al-Azhar highlighted the need to work to confront all acts of violence, extremism, hatred and intolerance.

Egypt has condemned in the strongest terms the deadly stabbing, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said, calling it a “terrorist incident”.

In a statement, the Egyptian ministry extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured people in the attack a speedy recovery.

The ministry affirmed the support of Egyptian government and people to the government and people of France in overcoming this “abominable” incident.

“Egypt strongly condemns and rejects these terrorist incidents and stresses that they totally contradict with human instinct and instructions of monotheistic religions,” the ministry added.

The incident comes a week after a French teacher was killed near his school outside Paris, after showing cartoons of Prophet Mohammad.

Islamic authorities in Egypt and worldwide have condemned the attack.