Dubai: Terror groups such as Daesh cannot be eradicated by military measures alone if there is no ideological victory over their propaganda as well, warned panellists at the Knowledge Summit in Dubai on Monday.
These observations were made during the fourth session on Future Foresight: Against Ideological Extremism, held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai hotel.
Dr Sultan Al Nuaimi, faculty member of Abu Dhabi University who moderated the session, said terror groups are simply “by products” of extremist ideologies that need to be rooted out from societal discourse in order to achieve a permanent solution.
Panellist Dr Jawad Anani, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Investment Affairs, said if Daesh fails militarily and withdraws from areas it controls, its ideological threat can still control the minds of “marginalised youth”. He called for countering the group’s propaganda by using communication channels popular with youth to dispel misconceptions about the caliphate, jihad and other issues.
His concerns were echoed by Theodore Kattouf, former US ambassador to the UAE, who said even if Daesh was defeated, “that’s not the end of the matter — this is an ideological struggle”. He said that extremists took advantage of the chaos in some Arab and Muslim countries to spread their beliefs among disenchanted masses.
Kattouf also blamed some Western politicians for fuelling the problem by taking an inflammatory position regarding Muslim minorities. “My greatest fear is that Islamaphobics are playing directly into the hands of extremist groups’ narrative of a conflict of civilisations,” he said.
Kattouf added that Syrian refugee children, half of whom are not in school, must not be allowed to become “vulnerable to extremism when they come of age”. He pointed out the need for the “soft power” of education and the “free exchange of ideas” in turning back the tide of intolerance.
“We all need to do that, just as we are doing it here in Dubai,” Kattouf said, adding that ultimately it was up to the people of the region to “overcome the hatred” espoused by radical organisations. He suggested “good education, good teachers” and a reversal of a “brain drain” as some counter measures.
Schools and parents in the Middle East have largely failed to rise to the challenge against extremism, said Ahmad Ouzzi, professor of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the University of Mohammad V in Rabat, Morocco.
Ann Morgan, a UK-based writer and editor, said another way to build bridges was by reading books from countries other than one’s own, which helps people learn more about each other culturally. “The fear of voicelessness builds up extremism, which is diffused by the sharing of stories because that is what connects us as human beings,” she added.
