"In Egypt, we're really fighting ISIS hard," he continued. "It's very tough and we're having many problems in this fight because it's a battle fought with arms, ideas, religion. It's a heavy fight, because ISIS knows that if Egypt falls, the whole region will fall."
He highlighted that although a Muslim himself, he has dear friends who are Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox, and they are all happy with the Vatican and Pope Francis.
"The only ones unhappy are ISIS and the fanatics," he said. Speaking about Cairo's Air Defense Stadium where Pope Francis celebrate Mass Saturday morning, he said, "Here in the stadium there are Muslims, Protestants, everybody."
"Yesterday in the prayer meeting we found the three big religious leaders were sitting on the same stage, just praying along with the Vatican, the Pope. I'm very happy with what's going on."
More in Middle East - Africa
Amani, an Egyptian TV presenter, said she thinks it's a "very critical time" for Egypt, "so it's especially important that Pope Francis has come here." She applauded seeing all Egyptians, including both Christians and Muslims, joining together for his visit.
Amani also said that "we have to specify what terrorism is," saying that she believes it's in all religions, not only in Islam.
"This is what the head of al-Azhar said yesterday," she said, referring to the speech made by Grand Imam of the Mosque of al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayyib, who spoke alongside Pope Francis at the conference on peace.
It's time, around the world, to draw the line on what is good and non-violent as part of a religion and what is not, she said.
"Now we're going to divide again between good and bad."
"[The problem] is these people and the money behind them who take bits out of the Koran, the same thing in other religions. Most people all over the world have gone far from their main religion and believe what other people say about them," she continued.
"The main aspect of this visit is that we have now to decide, if we need and want this religion, to look into the past, and study the real religion, not what people say about it."
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Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.