We wish our Coptic friends a blessed Christmas. In the West Christmas is celebrated on December 25. Orthodox Christians in Egypt, however, celebrate this on January 7. The reason is in the use of different calendars, Gregorian (in the West) and Julian (Coptic Orthodox).

Large numbers of people call for a military confrontation with Dāʿish (IS).  People searching for alternative responses are definitely in a minority. One of them is Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Salah, CEO of Huda TV, Egypt. CAWU interns interviewed him on November 5 on various subjects, including his conviction that dialogue with IS is needed to prevent further bloodshed.

One week later IS committed its horrible crime in Paris. Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Salah called us to offer condolences and told his he still stands with the need to engage in dialogue with Dāʿish (IS).

Our interns made much effort to transcribe this lengthy interview word by word. We then sent it to Dr. Muhammad Salah for approval. Since he had been traveling to Nigeria for talks initiated by the government of Nigeria with Boko Haram he was only recently able to approve this text. Thus only now we are capable of making this interview public.  

Dr. Salah believes that Dāʿish has engaged in practices that breach Islam and thus have placed themselves outside Islam. He agrees with the report  „Inside the Jihadi Mind“ of the Tony Blair Foundation that a Muslim ideological confrontation with Dāʿish is needed.

“Ideology only can be confronted by another ideology,” he says. Thus communication is needed. “We need dialogue with Dāʿish and anyone else to bring them back within the fold of Islam. Give those who joined them a chance to regret and return. ... Dialogue should aim at stopping or slowing down their recruiting capability.” 

For the full interview please click here.

His view is certainly not the only view on how to end violent extremism. In a next interview our long-time friend Prof. Abdallah Schleifer will present his views.

We hope and pray that 2016 will become a year of peace.

Cornelis Hulsman,

Deputy Chairman Center for  Arab-West Understanding

Egypt