Congressman Dana Rohrabacher called on US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner to invite President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to give a speech at Congress.
In a press release issued on his website last week, Rohrabacher said, “Congress needs to hear directly from the key leaders of the Middle East. That is why I have urged Speaker Boehner to invite Egypt’s President Sisi to follow with his own speech to a joint session. The Egyptian leader has made his country a bulwark against the spread of Islamic terrorism and has called for reforms within the Islamic world so that it may live in peace and harmony with the modern world.”
“Egypt has been and continues to be one of America’s strongest allies in the Arab world. The Egyptian government has been a steadfast partner in the war on terrorism. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Al-Qaeda connected terrorist groups have emerged in Egypt and are attempting to topple their democratically elected government. It is imperative that the United States show our resolve to support democracy in Egypt and oppose the efforts of violent terrorists,” Rohrabacher added.
“I wish to bring to your attention a significant and courageous speech by President Sisi calling for reform in the Islamic faith. We should take note that this major leader in the Middle East is choosing to stand with those voices in the Islamic community who are advocating tolerance while standing up to Islamic extremists,” he said.
The US official went on to say that, “President Sisi is a key global leader whom the United States should strongly support standing up to Islamic extremists. Egypt is at a crossroads but has a strong leader that gives hope for increased security and prosperity in Egypt and the region.”
