Hughes In Egypt Opposes Religious Extremism, Pushes Religious Freedom

The increasingly complex interaction of the U.S. government with religion in the post- 9/11 world is illustrated by Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes' trip to Egypt yesterday. Her first stop as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs was the 1000 year old center of Islamic learning in Cairo, Al-Azhar, where she emphasized the importance of fighting terrorism and religious extremism. Al-Azhar's leader, Sheik Mohammad Sayyed al Tantawi, was one of the first to condemn the Sept. 11 attacks. He also strongly condemned this year's London subway attacks. (See prior posting.) The U.S. State Department has released the text of Secy. Hughes' remarks made after her visit. She spoke about interfaith dialogue and the importance of religious freedom in the United States.