In a statement he made on Friday 8/2/2012 during a speech at the Islamic Center of Long Island at New York, Advisor to the Mufti of the Republic Dr. Ibrahim Negm said that Islam prohibits all forms of violence and bloodshed.

Negm described the recently released fatwa (religious edict) that called for the killing of opposition figures as "sheer political folly".

Americans are closely following what is going on in Egypt, Negm told the attendees, adding that words can be transferred quickly all over the world because of communication revolution.

In the same event, the Egyptian cleric called on the attendees to seek their information about Islam from Al Azhar scholars adding that Al Azhar and Dar Al-Ifta (House of fatwas) are concerned with reaching out to the world and building bridges of communication and common understanding with other religions without forcing non-Muslims to convert to Islam.