Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi told a number of US Congress members in a meeting that human rights and freedoms in Egypt shouldn’t be viewed from a “western perspective.” Sisi received a delegation of Republican senators headed by senator Jim Risch on the sidelines of a celebration held in Sharm El-Sheikh earlier this week to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the inception of parliamentary life in Egypt. During the meeting, Sisi asserted Egypt’s keenness to bolster strategic ties and bilateral relations with the US, according to a statement by presidential spokesperson Alaa Youssef. The Egyptian president also discussed the recent local developments as well as the country’s counter-terrorism efforts, stressing on Egypt’s keenness to purge religious discourse of extremist ideas that are exploited by terrorist groups to achieve their goals. Sisi confirmed Egypt’s commitment to upholding the values of democracy and the rule of law. He, however, said that freedoms and human rights in Egypt shouldn’t be perceived from “a western perspective due to differences in challenges and local and regional circumstances.” He added that democracy is an extended and ongoing process and that Egypt is keen to move forward towards it. Egypt has…
Sisi Says ‘Western Perspective’ on Human Rights Not Applicable to Egypt
October 12, 2016
