New York: The UAE has condemned recruitment of foreign fighters and financing of such operations which form one of the most notorious sources for global terrorism.
In a statement read on Thursday on behalf of Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Jarman, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs at the UN Security Council’s summit, which was chaired by US President Barack Obama, highlighted UAE’s position on the growing phenomenon of foreign fighters joining terrorist groups, including Daesh, which controls large areas in Iraq and Syria and commits human rights violations such as killing, abduction, expulsion and sexual violence, particularly against women.
“The acts of these terrorist organisations, which have recently seized large areas of cities and villages and directly engaged in fuelling conflicts and committing grave violations against innocent people including assaults, kidnappings, displacements and mass murders, confirm our belief that there is a common threat facing all member states that requires a united effort in taking strict and immediate measures against it.”
The threat we are facing today, the statement said, has exacerbated lately due to the absence of deterrent actions. Two decades ago, we faced the threat of Al Qaida and other terrorist organisations. Today, we continue to suffer from the same threats and even more serious due to the emergence of various forms of violence which are not limited to committing murders, kidnappings and displacements, but include sexual violence against women. “The acts committed by Isil [Daesh] in both Iraq and Syria are the biggest proof of that, and became a source of concern for the UAE. Therefore, we appeal to the international community to continue its efforts to eliminate the principal element contributing to terrorism, which is the recruitment of foreign fighters, and to make sure that this effort becomes a part of a comprehensive strategy aiming at eliminating the other elements feeding terrorism.”
Welcoming the Security Council resolution passed on Thursday, the UAE said that addressing the threat of terrorism could not be done through security and military measures only, but required the international community to pursue a unified strategy to prevent recruitment of terrorist elements. “That includes tightening control over social networks, which are used in attracting a larger number of disillusioned youth to achieve the vicious goals under religious slogans, which has no connection with any divine faith.”
The statement also said the UAE is conducting a study on the mechanisms of preventing terrorist organisations from using social networks for recruitment purposes.
“The UAE, which strongly condemns the operations of recruiting foreign fighters and the related financing, considers these operations as one of the most dangerous elements that contributes to international terrorism. We also emphasise that the dangerous proportions of this issue are not limited to the areas of conflict, but also include the safe areas from which those fighters are recruited. The UAE, therefore, welcomes the resolution adopted today, and regards it an important and crucial resolution.”
On our part, the UAE is committed to combatting violent extremism and its related beliefs and terrorist acts, and coordinates through its membership in the Global Counterterrorism Forum with the other partners to ensure that their territories are not used in disseminating terrorist acts and other related crimes. The UAE also, through hosting the Hedayah Centre, helps the international community in exchanging the best practices in countering extremism in all its forms. “At the same time, we will work on strengthening preventive policies through establishment of centres for the rehabilitation of people affected by extremism and terrorism ideologies.”
