Abu Dhabi:
In order to defeat extremists governments must build a strong country offering its citizens a viable route for a productive and hopeful future, a scholar said during a lecture here on Wednesday.
Mohammad Mokhtar Gomaa, Minister of Endowments and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Egypt, delivered the lecture, organised by the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), with the main theme of the discussion centred on how the Muslim world should combat the rise of extremism.
“Extremists manage to thrive and take root in countries when there is corruption and weak governments, like we see in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.” he said.
“Groups like Daesh go to young men offering them many things, like money, a job, and women. These are enticing prospects for a young man who has a bleak outlook on the future without many options to turn to in his own country,” he added.
Gomaa mentioned the UAE as a good example of an Arab and Muslim country that provides its citizens with a good way of life, “It doesn’t matter what you call the government, whether it’s a constitutional government, a monarchy, or a democracy. The most important thing is that the people have justice and religious freedom, and we find this in the UAE,” he said.
Eliminating extremist ideologies that are acting in the name of religion must also be countered by a moderate message that explains the real values of Islam, Gomaa explained, “The extremists have nothing to do with religion, if we look at Islamic history we don’t see examples of Muslims destroying other civilisations and relics from history. When the Muslims went to Egypt they did not destroy the temples or pyramids like the extremists are doing in Syria, and it’s very important that we teach the youth about this.”
“It is critical that we review what is also being published both on print and through the internet by certain groups and publications that may be promoting an extremist message and ideology that corrupt the true teachings of Islam,” Gomaa added.
Fatwas (religious edicts) must also be regulated according to Gomaa, as is done in the UAE, “Fatwas must only be issued by qualified scholars who have been tested and certified. We cannot have unqualified and unfit persons who claim to be scholars making religious rulings in the name of Islam, and I believe this should also be criminalised.”
