On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Egyptian President El-Sisi discussed ways to enhance defense, security, and military cooperation among the three nations with the Greek Minister of Defense, Nikolaos Dendias, and the Cypriot Minister of Defense, Vasilis Palmas. In two separate meetings, El-Sisi emphasized the importance of the trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, describing it as a “successful model of regional cooperation aimed at achieving peace, stability, and shared prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.” In a statement released by the Egyptian Presidency, the spokesperson noted that El-Sisi highlighted the significance of the bilateral relations binding Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece. He stressed the need to deepen their existing strategic partnership and elevate it to broader horizons across various sectors—particularly in security and military affairs—to realize the shared aspirations of their peoples. Meanwhile, the Greek Defense Minister underscored the importance of continued cooperation and coordination between Egypt and Greece in combating terrorism and addressing irregular migration.

Anyone reflecting on the image the El-Sisi regime attempts to project regarding its regional role can see the magnitude of the wrongdoing it is perpetrating. Muslim lands are in turmoil, rife with wars, destruction, and disasters ignited by colonialist disbelievers—such as America, Britain, the Jewish entity, and others. Egypt itself lies at the heart of a region ablaze with wars ignited by the Jewish entity, which continues to stoke the flames and fuel the fires of conflict. To its right lies wounded, devastated Gaza, where the Jewish entity has been committing the most heinous crimes and atrocities for three years while threatening to displace its people. To its left rages a fierce war among conflicting factions in Libya—fueled by the lives of the people and the Ummah’s resources—aimed at partitioning the country between American and British spheres of influence. To the south, a war consumes everything in Sudan, serving America’s malicious agenda to detach Darfur—just as it previously did with South Sudan—and ensure the entire country remains under American influence. Nearby, a conflict plays out in Yemen involving regional and local proxies—part of the struggle for influence between America and Britain and an extension of America’s war on Iran—with a major war on the verge of erupting that could draw in Türkiye and Pakistan under the pretext of the “Mecca Defense Alliance,” established to assist America in its war against Iran.

This is merely a fragment of the regional landscape—and part of the broader picture facing the entire Islamic world. Amidst these catastrophes, calamities, and perils, the El-Sisi regime finds the leisure to extend support to colonialist Greece and Greek Cyprus. It places Egypt’s army—along with its capabilities and expertise—at the service of Greece and Greek Cyprus, entities that are allies of the Jewish entity in the region and enemies of Türkiye, a Muslim people. Thus, the regime generously bestows these resources upon colonialist disbelievers, whilst it withholds them from Muslims.

Which is more deserving of Egypt’s army and its capabilities: Gaza—groaning under its wounds and crying out to the Ummah for three years to be rescued from the genocide inflicted upon it by the Jews—or Greece, which aligns itself with the Jewish entity and harbors hostility toward Muslims?

Which is more deserving of support from Egypt and its army: Sudan and its people—screaming out amidst hunger, slaughter, and displacement caused by the manufactured war between America’s two proxies there—or Greece, a member of NATO—America’s alliance—that devastated Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and beyond?

Which is more deserving of Egypt’s army: Libya—where the army could aid the people and root out American and British colonialism and their instruments—or Greece, which openly declares its hostility toward Muslims and its allegiance to America?

And which is more deserving of funds, effort, and expenditure: the impoverished people of Egypt—suffering abject poverty due to El-Sisi’s policies, the corruption of his cronies, and their plundering of the country—or the security of Greece and the interests of colonialists? This is in addition to what the Greek Defense Minister described as cooperation and coordination between Egypt and Greece in combating terrorism—a term that everyone knows the rulers of Muslims and the West use to refer to Islam.

Islam has forbidden cooperation (تعاون ta’aawun) with enemies and reliance upon them, and has prohibited military alliances between Muslims and disbelievers. Such alliances cause a Muslim to fight under the command of a disbeliever and beneath a banner of disbelief, and to fight for the survival of an entity of disbelief—all of which are forbidden acts. A Muslim may only fight under the command of a Muslim and beneath the banner of Islam. Authentic Hadith forbid fighting under the banner or command of disbelievers; Ahmad and Al-Nasa'i narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, «لَا تَسْتَضِيئُوا بِنَارِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ» “Do not seek light from the fire of the mushrikeen”—meaning, do not use the fire of the mushrikeen as a source of light for yourselves; “fire (نارnar)” here is a metaphor (كناية kinayah) for war.

Furthermore, such alliances involve disbelievers fighting alongside Muslims while retaining their own distinct entity—fighting as a state rather than as individuals—and the Messenger (saw) forbade seeking the assistance of disbelievers as an organized entity. It is reported in a Hadith from Al-Dahhak (ra), «أن رسول الله ﷺ خرج يوم أُحد فإذا كتيبة حسناء أو قال خشناء فقال مَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ؟ قالوا يهود كذا وكذا. فقال لَا نَسْتَعِينُ بِالْكُفَّارِ» “that the Messenger of Allah (saw) went out on the day of Uhud and encountered a tidily presented—or perhaps a formidable—battalion. He asked, ‘Who are these?’ They replied, ‘They are Jews of such-and-such tribe.’ He said, ‘We do not seek the assistance of disbelievers.’”

Therefore, military alliances with disbelieving states are forbidden and invalid in Shariah. It is not permissible for a Muslim to shed his blood in defense of a belligerent disbeliever; rather, a Muslim fights people so that they may enter Islam. What El-Sisi is doing constitutes both a political transgression and a violation of Shariah; he harnesses the country’s army to serve the interests of colonialist disbelievers and boasts of cooperation and alliance with the Ummah’s enemies, all while failing to come to the aid of Muslims and their causes—despite the declaration of Allah (swt) Who said,

[إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ]

“The believers are but brothers” [TMQ Surah Al-Hujuraat: 10].

This places an imperative upon the sincere elements within the army of Al-Kinanah (الكنانة The Quiver of Arrows), Egypt, to step forward and fulfill their Shariah obligation: to liberate Egypt from El-Sisi and his regime and to establish Egypt as the support point (نقطة ارتكاز nuqtatun irtikaaz) for the second Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood; therein lies true success.

* Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Egypt