Since the 1960s, terrorism has been vexing countries across the world in some way or the other making it a global phenomenon. Despite the fact that every country is spending millions of dollars and resort to modern technological advancements, extremists still strike causing destruction and deaths. Without renewed, unbiased and determined international cooperation and concerted global efforts, we will not be able to live in peace and be safe whether at the comfort of our homes or outside.
In this context, the speech given by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Forum on ‘Returning Foreign Fighters’ recently is thought-provoking.
The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Qatar’s globally-accepted stance in the fight against terrorism rejecting it in all its forms and manifestations. The Deputy Prime Minister said that the issue of terrorism is a high priority for the State of Qatar, citing the continuous development of the country’s legislations and its related institutional entities against terrorism and the implementation of United Nations resolutions in this regard and the country’s active involvement in the international cooperation against terrorism.
The Deputy Prime Minister rightly said that this menace cannot be confronted and eliminated unless the international community united its efforts through a persevering and inclusive approach based on cooperation and participation among all states, international and regional organisations, civil society organisations and academic and research entities.
In the fight against terrorism, it is imperative to find out the root cause and eliminate it. Most of the terrorists, whether they belong to the Middle East, Asia or Europe, are young people who lack the ideology of right thinking. They belong to the oppressed communities or economically isolated, they lack livelihood opportunities and education with weak job opportunities. It is the duty of respective governments to provide their people with at least the basic needs to live a decent life such as food, shelter, education and job.
As the world has become a global village, it has become easier to spread extremist ideologies and violence using modern means of communications and technology. The world countries collectively should keep a watch over the communication channels and take extra caution to see that technology and know-how that help make weapons are not accessed by trouble-makers.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that terrorism cannot be and should not be linked to any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, and it is important not to confuse terrorism with legitimate resistance. Instead of blaming others, each state should shoulder the responsibility of weaning its people away from extremist ideologies and violence. Terrorism should never be used as a means to settle scores with other countries, ethnicity or groups.
