CAIRO — Egypt has recently stepped up its support for Russia in the fight against extremist ideologies and groups, most notably the Muslim Brotherhood. On Aug. 3, Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta (the Egyptian authority responsible for issuing religious edicts) announced the graduation of 21 imams from Russia from a training camp on the issuance of fatwas against extremist ideologies.

Dar al-Ifta said in a report on its portal on the same day that “the training program for Russian imams aims to provide them with the ability to issue fatwas while adhering to the moderate approach of Islam, and to monitor and analyze extremist ideas.”

In a statement on Aug. 4, the mufti of Moscow and the chief imam of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, Ildar Alyautdinov, said, “The fatwa training program has been very beneficial for Russia’s imams. The Egyptian Dar al-Ifta was keen, through this training, to graduate Russian muftis who are well aware of the importance and seriousness of fatwas and the correct methods to issue moderate fatwas.”

Alyautdinov explained that the graduates of this training program will serve Russian Muslims in various regions and republics across Russia since they were selected from various places covering all Russian republics.