Manama: Terrorism and extremism are a global phenomenon that are not linked to any particular society, people or religion, Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani has said, adding that it is posing a serious threat to security and stability in the Middle East and the world
“The eradication of this abhorrent phenomenon requires international cooperation and an obligatory strategy to confront the circumstances and causes of terrorism and the ideologies that justify and legitimise it in any way,” Shaikh Tamim said.
“Provisions of international law and tackling the roots and real causes of this blight must be taken into account in fighting terrorism. The ideal environment of those who adopt radical ideologies is one charactrised by the inability to act against the injustice and humiliation, and the ingrained feeling of inequity that is coupled with despair and deadlock” he said as he opened the 17th edition of the Doha Forum held under the theme “Development, Stability and Refugee Crisis”.
Factors such as psychological and physical violence exercised by tyranny or foreign occupation, social, economic and political distortions, as well as blocked prospects for change are pushing some people to join movements that put forward violence as a way out, Shaikh Tamim added as he emphasised the need to confront extremist ideologies and their advocates who exploit such an environment to push a small number of young people into this path.
“We should neither forget the environment itself nor the ‘state terrorism’ exercised under the pretext of combating terrorism, which in turn leads to its spread and redoubling its size. There must also be a clear distinction between terrorism and the legitimate right of peoples to struggle for freedom and independence,” he said, quoted by Qatar News Agency (QNA).
“We firmly believe that dialogue is the optimum way to settle disputes and resolve regional and international crises and conflicts. Today, our world is in dire need of concerted efforts and serious work to deepen the concepts of dialogue and promote a culture of peace, tolerance, equality and rejection of violence and extremism. In this respect, we seek through this Forum to consolidate the principle of dialogue and support the values of joint action and collective building of the future.”
“The political and social backgrounds of terrorism are the breeding ground that triggers the displacement of millions. A refugee is the victim of the same environment that produces terrorism, and may himself be a victim of it. In the end refugees are helpless and desperate,” he said.
