Egypt's uprising against extremism to be understood

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, addressing the United Nations General Assembly meeting here on Wednesday, said the world was beginning to realize what happened in Egypt when its people took to the streets last year in an uprising against the forces of extremism.
The ongoing terror in the region is a clear evidence of the real motives of this movement that we have repeatedly warned of, he told the 69th UNGA session.
Terror is an epidemic that does not differentiate between and advanced or developing society, he said.
Sisi greeted the Egyptian people for making history twice: in the January 2011 revolution and the June 2013 revolution.
Sisi thanked the thousands of Egyptians who came from the homeland and from the all American states to affirm that the new Egypt is coming.
Egyptians have made history twice over the past three years, when they first revolted against corruption and autocracy and called for freedom, dignity and social justice and second when they held firm to their identity and nationalism and refused to succumb to the oppression of a group that uses religion to place its narrow interests above those of a whole nation, he said.
It was a turning point for Egypt but it is only one phase of a long march towards a better future, he said.
The world has started to realize that what happened to Egypt was an uprising against the forces of extremism and darkness who once they assumed power, undermined all principles of democracy and state institutions and sought to split the unity of the nation, he said.
"We have repeatedly warned against this. The principles of justice, love and tolerance that came in Judaism, Christianity and Islam were transformed by these groups to despicable sectarianism and devastating civil and regional wars killing innocents of various religions," he added.
The president started his speech by saluting the people of Egypt.
"The great Egyptian people who made the history twice…the first time when they revolted against corruption to demand freedom, dignity and social justice," the president said.
"The second time, when they revolted for their identity and against exclusion and when they revolted against tyranny under the name of religion," the president said.
Sisi said these were milestone moments that Egypt went through in the past years.
The president said the world started to realize the reality of what happened in Egypt.
Sisi said that the region's problems are due to allowing local and regional powers to grow.
This provided a fertile land for terrorism in tge region, he said.
He called for applying the rule of law and fighting strictly terrorism.
He reviewed Egypt's efforts at the local and regional levels to combat terrorism.
President Sisi called on the international community to counter the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
"Fighting this disease is a collective responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the disabled and to provide protection for our world," Sisi said.
Sisi stressed that Egypt is able to wipe out terrorism and extremism and restore its distinguished status.
Egypt is always capable of being a beacon of civilization and could help in restoring the cohesion of the regional order, he said.
Egypt's national security is part and parcel of the Arab national security, Sisi stressed.
The Egyptian president noted that Egypt respects the principles of international law, treaties and conventions.
Sisi stressed that Egypt’s foreign policy is based on mutual respect and interest.
He called on the UN member states to back Egypt’s bid to obtain the UN Security Council membership.
"I call on member states to support Egypt's bid to obtain the membership of UN security General," Sisi said.
Source: MENA