Abu Dhabi: A centre to counter online propaganda of terrorist organisation Daesh was launched by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Richard Stengel, US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The Sawab Centre in Abu Dhabi aims to counter online messages, propaganda and recruitment by Daesh. The centre is a joint online engagement initiative, in support of the Global Coalition Against Daesh. The word Sawab in Arabic signifies "doing the right thing" or being on the "right path".
Sawab seeks to do just that by giving a voice to the millions of Muslim and others around the world that stand united against the terrorism and falsehood propagated by Daesh.
To do so, the Sawab Centre will use online communication and social media tools to put things in the right perspective and to amplify those moderate voices that regularly get drowned out by the noise of the extremists. Through its online engagement, the Sawab Centre will counter the false claims and religious misinterpretations that are being propagated by Daesh and will seek to engage with those vulnerable online communities that are an easy prey for Daesh recruiters.
Co-founded by the UAE and the US, the Sawab Centre will work with governments in the region and around the world, including from the 63-country coalition that is confronting Daesh.
The Sawab Centre will also work with religious leaders, organisations, businesses, and youth in order to amplify their voices, challenge Daesh's doctrine of hate and intolerance, and to highlight and demonstrate the true values and diversity of Islam.
The Sawab Centre builds on and links into the various other Counter-Extremism initiatives that have been initiated in the UAE in recent years, including the Hedayah Centre to Counter Violent Extremism and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies. These initiatives demonstrate the UAE's strong and enduring commitment to a moderate and tolerant society that is deeply rooted in the UAE's history and traditions, where extremism has no place and no future.
On the occasion of the launch, Gargash said: “By tackling the problem of online radicalisation, the Sawab Centre will make an important contribution to the stability and security of the region and will make a start in reclaiming the online space from the extremists.”
US Under Secretary Richard Stengel said: “The US truly appreciates its partnership with the UAE when it comes to countering violent extremism.”
Gargash further underlined that “by creating the Sawab Centre, we are sending a clear message to Daesh and other extremists that moderate Muslims everywhere reject their hateful ideology and sensational brutality and are united with their partners around the world in support of a stable and prosperous Middle East that is free from the scourge of extremism.”
