The concept of Jihad was taken out of its context in Islamic Sharia to serve anti-Islam interests, Egypt's Mufti warned on Sunday.
Jihad should be viewed as depicted in the Islamic Sharia as a tool to defend nations in case of aggression and not as a tool to kill or drive people out of their homes in the name of religion, he told MENA on the sidelines of his participation in the 22nd session of the International Islamic Fiqh Council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Those who are claiming to be Jihadist are in fact criminals who are committing big crimes against humanity and Muslims, he said, calling on the international community to fight terrorism and find intellectual and security ways to combat such destructive ideas.
As for the conference, he said it will discuss a number of issues of importance to Islamic nations.