‘Extremist ideas have no backing’, Ramadan Lecture Series hears - in pictures

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, greets visiting Islamic scholars. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi

Egyptian scholar Dr Usama Sayyid Al Azhari delivered the first talk in the annual Ramadan Lecture Series. Rashed Al Mansoori / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, third left, at the lecture. Seen with him are Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, second right, Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Sheikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, second left, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, National Security Adviser, left, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, right. Rashed Al Mansoori / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Dr Al Azhari delivered the first talk in the annual Ramadan Lecture Series, entitled ‘Misconceptions of Extremist Movements’. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Extremist movements have no scientific or religious argument to back their violent ideologies, said Dr Al Azhari, an adviser to Egypt’s president, during his lecture. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

“Extremist movements have no curriculum to base their teachings on. I’ve studied all of the movements of the past 80 years and realised that they don’t have any scientific or religious teachings that can back up their violent ideologies,” Dr Al Azhari said. “They’ve got a disturbed craze for religion and nothing else.” Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Dr Al Azhari said that most of the extremist groups, including Al Qaeda, ISIL and Boko Haram, have similar patterns of thinking that people can learn from so as to prevent new groups from emerging. The pattern has been the same for the past 80 years or so, he said. One of the tactics those groups use is to shatter the idea of a home nation. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

The lecture was attended by members of the royal family including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs.