The task of articulating Islam’s true message of peace and moderation is an urgent imperative in light of the terrible actions of extremists who misuse Islam for their own violent goals. The vital task of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, which met last week in Abu Dhabi, is to lay down a dual strategy of both articulating the genuine message of Islam and also taking the fight to the extremists by studying their ideas and utterly refuting them.

The forum has gathered together many eminent Islamic thinkers and scholars, led by Shaikh Ahmad Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, one of Islam’s premier institutions, and Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, who chairs the Forum that includes many others from all over the Muslim world.

A key part of the Forum’s initial ideas was that it is not only a response to extremism and radicalisation. It seeks to base its thoughts on the original thinking of Islam. Bin Bayyah put it that religion is not the problem, but the craft of religiosity is the issue. He was clear that extremists have a flawed way of dealing with Islamic faith that results in violence and cruelty.

Al Tayyeb was passionate about the need to have a new and clear look at the basic concepts of Islam and clarify them to young Muslims so that they can avoid the abyss of militant extremist groups.

The Forum is designed to bring together leading Muslims to start to redefine the true message of Islam which, given the diffused nature of its structure, has become more focused on internal belief and unable to respond effectively to the targeted threat of extremist thinking that seeks to attract young people and destroy the underpinnings of society.

This means the Forum has very ambitious goals, but in all modesty such a task has to start somewhere. Ignoring this responsibility will be a disaster as it will allow the extremists to define and dominate the debate.