Al-A Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) in collaboration with Al-Azhar University continues its activities as part of the “Towards an Azhari Vision for Combating Extremism” initiative. AOCE recently organized a new symposium in the faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Sohag, entitled “Correcting Misconceptions for Youth and Protecting Them against Intellectual and Cultural Invasion.” AOCE’s researchers highlighted the importance of the approach of refuting extremist allegations and correcting misconceptions as a prominent tool to confront extremist discourse that depends on youth brainwashing.
Moreover, AOCE pointed out that extremist persuasion strategies rely on misleading, misinterpreting, and taking texts out of their contexts approach. It sheds light on several real-life examples that illustrate how extremist organizations twist terms and concepts for their malignant interests, such as the concept of jihad, loyalty, and patriotism.
In this context, AOCE’s researchers gave a comprehensive presentation on AOCE, its mechanism of work, and its recent audio, visual, and written productions. They stressed that AOCE aims at establishing awareness and promoting instinctual approaches, by its thirteen language units, through following up, monitoring, analyzing, and refuting the ideologies promoted by extremist organizations. They crystalized that pointed out the difference between the concept of extremism and terrorism, noting that extremism has nothing to do with religion and is not limited to carrying weapons. It is more than that.
Moreover, AOCE discussed the status of women in Islam and how Islamic law has guaranteed women's rights and set their duties that aim to preserve the cohesion of society by emphasizing their right to education, health care, and other rights.
Finally, AOC's researchers answered students’ questions on several contemporary issues, including how to protect oneself and others from extremism, Al-Azhar approach in dialogue with others, the relationship between extremism and atheism, in addition to the Observatory’s view towards phenomena that arise in societies such as violence and racism