The Muslim Council of Elders, chaired by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed El-Tayyeb, has deplored the killing of an Egyptian Muslim girl in Virginia, the US.

In a press release, the council said that the attack is racist, calling for combating Islamophobia, which, it said, is spreading in the West.

The council warned that Islamophobia could turn into Theophobia across the world in the coming period.

The body urged religious leaderships in the world to work together to cement the values of citizenship, co-existence and peace.

It asked authorities in Western countries to take all measures to prevent such acts against innocent people.

Nabra Hassanen, 17, was attacked early Sunday as she and a group of teenagers walked back to a mosque.

Source: MENA