23.07.10 Egypt Politics and Security
Egypt attends Kabul Conference on Afghanistan
Dr Ahmed el Tayyib
In a significant move, Egypt participated at the Kabul International Conference
on Afghanistan which was held on 20th July, and it provided advice on how best to tackle terrorism, given the growing
problem in Afghanistan.
The Egyptian delegation included representatives from Al Azhar, which is to start religious training programmes in Afghanistan, to tackle
extremism and terrorism. This has the backing of the Al Azhar's head Dr Ahmed el Tayyib, who has made it an integral part of his work to fight extremism and terrorism,
not only in Egypt, but across the Muslim world.
Egypt's participation is important because it extends its role into the wider
Muslim World beyond the parameters of the Arab World, where it has been facing
a
decline in influence, given its failure to unite the Palestinians and re-start
the stagnant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
It appears that Egypt is aiming to extend its influence in the Muslim world,
with recent initiatives to boost ties with Pakistan and India. This increases
its
role as a potent actor in the wider non Arab Muslim world where it is in
competition with Turkey and Iran.
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