The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) received His Excellency Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of Japan to Cairo, along with Mr. Takahashi Yudai, Third Secretary at the Japanese Embassy.
During the visit, Prof. Khaled Abbas, AOCE’s Advisor for European Affairs, provided an in-depth explanation of AOCE’s operational mechanism and the issues addressed by its thirteen specialized units, which focus on monitoring, analyzing, and combating extremist discourse. Further, the Japanese Ambassador reviewed the Observatory's latest visual, audio, and written outputs, aimed to promote moderate thought.
This visit comes within the framework of the ongoing international collaboration between Al-Azhar Observatory and the Japanese side in combating extremism and terrorism. It is worth noting that AOCE had organized lectures for young Japanese diplomats regarding the nature, causes, and motivations of extremism. Moreover, AOCE participated in the eighth edition of the Middle East Counter-Extremism Dialogue, held in Japan under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This edition, entitled "Women and Children in Extremist Groups," featured a diverse group of international experts to address this significant topic. These gatherings and collaborative efforts illustrate the Al-Azhar Observatory's dedication to enhancing its continuous initiatives to address the issues of extremism and terrorism worldwide.