Dr. Shaūkī ‘Alām, the Grand Muftī, confirmed that Egypt is a religious country and that the Egyptians chose to give religion a role in public affairs. He added that the Islamic character of the state is an identity issue. He stressed that this should not reduce the role of the modern state that guarantees rights to all its citizens regardless of their religion and that it should not be a source of concern for Egyptians or for foreign states.