In Theory: Terrorism causes big economic losses

Certain Arab countries have recently witnessed terrorist operations that resulted in the death of innocent Muslim and non-Muslim civilians, including women and children, although such acts are contrary to the teachings of Islam.

Apart from the loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties and undermining the general conditions in the targeted countries, there are enormous and invisible economic losses arising from such operations.

Such losses are not limited to the destruction of this or that building or inflicting damages upon certain transport facilities but they extend to significant economic sectors such as the manufacturing sectors, infrastructure facilities, tourist and service sectors that play a growing part in Arab economies.

During the last three decades, considerable efforts were made to build developed infrastructures, especially in the Arabian Gulf states, so that the services provided by such infrastructure installations are unrivalled in some developed nations. It is noted that there is an increased utilisation of the infrastructure to further enhance the rates of economic growth and improve the citizens' living conditions.

Meanwhile, hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent to erect, complete, develop and harness such facilities to serve issues of social development and progress.

In fact, we do not know exactly what the relationship is between the extremist slogans and the terrorist operations that destroy the economic infrastructure in the Arab and Islamic countries. Do those who perpetrate such acts know that the next global conflict will be one of an economic nature in the first place?

Resources

Indeed, damage to Arab and Islamic economies will mean undermining the Arabs and Muslims as well as their material and economic resources making them lose many opportunities and contributions to the advancement of the human community.

It is clear that ignorance of the nature of cultural progress at the present time and the advanced telecommunications and information technology does not allow those who launch terrorist operations to read Arab and international affairs in a proper manner.

The almost thirty Moroccan plotters of the Casablanca suicide bombings do not include a single person who has a university degree, let alone the fact that they are very young with ages ranging between 16 and 25.

Efforts

The simple equation shows that the attempts made by the highly qualified nationals of this country such as engineers, doctors, economists, scientists and professionals of all kinds of disciplines seek to place their countries on the chart of the world's progress and development and their continuous efforts over many years are countered by extremist acts by individuals who are unable to properly analyse the rapid international developments and to take advantage of these to serve their national interests.

Such fanatics used lame excuses and justifications that are not in any way related to religion as proved by the strong condemnation of such practices by all the Muslim scholars and clergymen.

A simple calculation shows that Egypt's losses arising from acts of terrorism a few years ago totalled some $2 billion, with tens of thousands of Egyptians working in the tourism and service sectors losing their jobs or at least remaining out of business for a long period of time.

The same applies to Morocco, Tunisia and several other Arab countries since the damage and destruction is faced by all categories of the community without exception.

Such groups are actually in need of food, medicine and the decent accommodation that is suitable to maintain one's dignity that is emphasised by divine religions, especially Islam.

As for the killing of innocent people and destruction of the economic infrastructure in the Arab and Islamic societies, it has only one result, which is the deterioration of the population's living standards and undermining conditions of the Arab and Islamic states in the international balance of power and making them suffer substantial losses that are impossible to recover.

The author is Bahrain-based Gulf economic expert.