CAIRO // Religious fundamentalism will continue to flourish if poverty, disease and the needs of refugees are not addressed, the audience at the International Peace Conference in Cairo was told.
The gathering, co-organised by Al Azhar and the UAE-based Muslim Council of Elders, came three weeks after bombings on Coptic churches in Egypt killed at least 45 people.
Its purpose was to call upon followers of different faiths to trust each other and work together to denounce extremism and promote peace. The conference drew political and spiritual figures from around the world.
The overriding message of the two-day event, which began on Thursday, was that offering citizenship to refugees and tackling wealth inequality was essential in thwarting the appeal of extremism.
Dr Mostafa Hegazi, a former adviser to the interim Egyptian president, Adly Mansour, said that poverty’s ramifications were not only felt financially but also had profound effects on people’s rationality.
“It leads to a poverty of thought, imagination and capacity,” said Dr Hegazi, who is also the founder of an Egyptian think tank focused on issues of justice.
The link between violent extremism and extreme poverty is well established and inclined individuals to become racist and nations to resort to war, he said.
“Isn’t it high time we tackled this serious institutional problem,” he said.
“People are not machines that are forced to produce. It’s time we educate people before they become cogs in the employment machine.”
Rev Olav Fykse, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said that extending citizenship to those in need would serve to provide people with the protection and rights that all people deserved, regardless of their backgrounds.
“Different people should have the same basis of security for their lives and their children’s lives,” he said.
“We need something solid and clear as a platform of our lives together.”
Basic human needs such as food, water, security, health, education and freedom to believe were all needed to ensure harmonious communities, he said.
Bishop Bola, who was representing Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, called for further inclusion in communities.
“The colonial mentality worldwide has to end, such as is happening in Palestine,” the bishop said.
The Coptic bishop appealed to countries to come to the aid of the oppressed and to narrow the gap between the rich and poor nations.
“I call on nations to address poverty because it is a fertile ground for violent environments,” the bishop said.
The conference concluded yesterday with Pope Francis’s visit to Al Azhar, the global seat of Sunni Muslim learning, the first visit there by a Roman Catholic pope.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.