Muslims should take a more modern view of their religion and think about the factors that lead to  terrorism, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Thursday in Davos.

“Islam is a tolerant religion, but this was not always clear to the world during the past 20 or 30 years,” al-Sisi said at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort.

“The terrible terrorist attacks that we have seen and this terrible image of Muslims are what led us to think that we must stop and think and change this religious discourse, and remove from it things that have led to violence and extremism,” he added.

While the articles of Islamic faith are immutable, there is a need for a new kind of discourse in line with the modern world, the president stressed.

In an indirect reference to Western caricatures that have sparked terrorism by radicals and protests among Muslims, al-Sisi also called on non-Muslims to pause and take stock.

“If we want to create a civilized, humane environment, we must respect each other’s cultures and beliefs,” he said.

Al-Sissi urged the international community to cooperate more closely on security matters and information exchange, and to work jointly against extremists using the internet and online social networks for their aims.
Egypt has seen frequent attacks on security forces since the military deposed president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Most have been claimed by jihadist groups. SAPA