Egypt's animated effort to fight religious extremism
Dar al-Ifta has created a graphics unit in an attempt to battle religious extremism through animated videos, but the jury is still out on whether the direction taken so far in two productions will persuade the target audience.
Egyptian efforts to fight religious extremism have ranged from information kiosks in metro stations to online chats with preachers on how Islam addresses modern problems. The latest such effort features short animated videos produced by Dar al-Ifta, Egypt’s highest Islamic body.
On Nov. 15, the religious authority launched a graphics unit with the mandate to counter extremist ideas on Islam by providing authoritative information on Islamic teachings. The new unit has already released two videos, including a 90-second clip warning against sheltering or protecting extremist groups. The video explains that Islam prohibits assaults on human life and cites the provisions in Islamic law requiring the preservation of the life, property and honor of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
As the Muslim world celebrated the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad's birth on Nov. 20, the unit released another video to refute claims that Muslims should not celebrate the occasion or buy sweets, as has become customary, to mark it.
A woman in the video advises, “Cheer up, celebrate and do not listen to the extremist whose ideology is only about forbidding the good things that God has permitted.”
