Arab anti-terrorism officials seek greater regional co-operation
2008-06-30
At two anti-terrorism conferences in Tunis last week, Arab officials discussed improving co-operation to stem terrorists' recruitment capacity and disrupt their flow of money and support.
By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 30/06/08
 [Mona Yahia] The 11th Arab Anti-Terrorism Conference concluded on June 26th in Tunis with calls for improved co-operation and for greater attention to be paid to youth issues. |
Antiterrorism officials attending a recent conference in Tunisia called on Arab states to devote energy to the region's youth, providing job opportunities and protecting them against intellectual deception and the dangers of terrorism.
At the conclusion of the 11th Arab Anti-Terrorism Conference, held June 25th-26th in the Tunisian capital, participants called for improved procedural co-operation between national anti-terrorism authorities and for the support of financial organisations concerned with combating money laundering and terrorism.
The General Secretariat focused the two-day agenda on several key subjects, including attacking the finances of terrorist organisations; methods employed by the new generation of terrorists; new effects of terrorism on society; and the role played by social institutions in combating terrorism.
Participants also recommended regulating charity organisations, to ensure they do not finance or support terrorism.
The conference also addressed the economic and social conditions in the Arab world that fuel crime and terrorism.
In the same context, the Council of Arab Interior Ministers in Tunis hosted the sixth meeting of the Arab Anti-terrorism Panel on June 27th-28th.
Participants in that meeting called on Arab states to follow the UN-sponsored strategy for capacity-building and technical assistance in counterterrorism. They also called for a unified Arab position on criminalising direct and indirect incitement to violence, represented in the defamation of religions and religious symbols. This is in addition to the adoption of a unified Arab legal position against takfir ideology and takfir fatwas.
Attendees also urged Arab states to enact or develop national legislation to combat terrorists' use of the internet.
Participants called on the media to be careful when they hold dialogue with the terrorist elements and those known for their extremist affiliations or when they present the ideas of these groups, to prevent the promotion and spread of their ideology.
As to the internet, participants stressed in their recommendations the need to create websites to stop the spread of violent ideologies.
Mohamed Ben Ali Koman, Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, said at the opening of the conference that terrorist groups depend mainly on religious calls to promote their destructive ideas and to recruit elements into their ranks. He called on clerics to confront these "criminal and takfirist" ideas by exposing the falsity of their claims and stressing the core, peaceful principles of Islam.
Koman also underlined the importance of serious effort in combating poverty and unemployment among youth.
"We are attaching great importance to raising the awareness of Arab peoples about the dangers of terrorist activities and crimes. The responsibility for such awareness is on all forces and active groups in society, foremost among which are religious, youth, sport and media institutions," conference head Hichem Abdullah Malek Gazeli said.
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محمد Posted 2008-07-01
Salam. I am a Tunisian young man. I hate to call these people as Muslims because those who attempt to harm Muslims and the name of Islam deserves teaching or reform. I personally reject violence in all its forms. But I call upon the president of my country not to let the reins of those who fight terrorism as they are making worse and distort the orders of the president. I fear that people are fed up with them. I thank your honour for taking time to read my letter.
mohammed 145 Posted 2008-07-01
Unfortunately, Tunisia so far has been unable to distinguish between two different points: devotion to religion and terrorism. This confusion is the result of compound ignorance. It is an ignorance of something while controversially and obstinately pretending to know it. It is also the result of the natural animosity of the extremist left to Islam and all its aspects. This animosity made them consider every religious person to be a terrorist, extremist and fighter as a means of progress and its acquisitions. Given their status in the country, this thought is the dominant and prevalent. The state has therefore adopted it without reservation. It is thus ignorance of religion and intentional confusion which made Tunisia at odds with all the Islamic World both in the past and presently. This is done either by annulling religious rules which were never subject to a difference by the first or last scholars such as the issue of the veil. Or by the law of fighting terrorism which has become for its enforcers a way to retaliate against religious people. Sometimes it is even carried out for personal purposes. So everything has become mixed up to the point that talking about religion is terrorism or even regular performance of prayers in the mosque is considered terrorism, having a long beard is terrorism… Religion should have taken its position in mosques, educational programmes and the media. This function should be assigned to competent and expert people who should not be ordered what to say. It is high time for reflection and consideration of this issue because terrorism is a thought and its fight should be conducted accordingly. It is true that security is important for the protection of the people and property. But we must study pure and untainted religion. We shouldn’t ban it and dwarf it under the pretext of progress. Modernism and development don’t contradict religion, its rituals and aspects. Peace and security can be achieved through social concord and dialogue. There should be no prevalence of hatred, revulsion and congestion. At the first opportunity, the supporters of this thought don’t hesitate to achieve their goals. 67394
عدنان الحسناوى Posted 2008-07-01
Terrorism is a serious threat for humanity. It must be fought. But it is not acceptable that in the name of the war against terrorism Arab and Islamic governments violate human rights, especially political rights. It is not acceptable that Arab and Islamic governments which hinder political reform and peace with Israel support the terrorist movement of Hamas. In the name of national sovereignty, this movement hinders cultural specificity and fights against normalization and the dissemination of a culture of peace, universal human rights as well as the values of democracy and freedom in this part of the world. It finds support from the free world because it is fighting terrorism. Free nations must associate between fighting terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration. They must help countries facing these problems and fight poverty at the same level as progress made in political reform, respect of human rights and protection of freedoms.
زيني عبّاس Posted 2008-07-03
Even if I use internet to addiction, my discovery of Magharebia site came very late. I wish I could publish some articles on the site about issues of the Arab Maghreb especially Mauritania. I will be very happy if the site opens a free corner for debating some issues related to the terrorist threat in the Maghreb region. May be this could contribute to adjusting some policies adopted in this sector. Thank you.
Anis Amri Posted 2008-07-03
To Mohammed: Yes religion could be terrorism with non-educated, poor, brain-washed simple tunisians. Yes religion could be terrorism when you spend the whole day in a mosque . Yes an uncut, untrimmed long beard is a sign of dangerous religion influence on somebody's life... And you see the outcome all over the middle east and the arab world, while they fall centuries behind... Any lessons from all these years in the wrong direction??? why can't we learn??? please name a single country within the arab world somebody will be proud of.... The answer is NONE... whenever religion gets deep in a country's social, educational and political aspects, you have the recipe for disaster... Look at the saudis with all the religion and the money, can't even build a flashlight.... Enough with the BS, somebody wants to be religious, Ok with me, by don't try to preach it every where you go... keep it to yourself and immediate family.... wanna spend the whole day in a mosque, move out of Tunisia, cause we open them only at prayer times, Saudi Arabia will have'em open all day...Oh forgot u can't get a VISA to the capital of islam unless hajj time ( nice welcoming visa policy for all the muslim brothers!!!!) ... Lets wake up
عبد الله الأنبار Posted 2008-07-04
Those ministers and directors only meet in order to fight Islam. Regarding the one who said that Mujahids distort the image of Islam, I say that it is the media which is distorting the image of the defenders of Islam. Let me ask you a rational question. Turn your eyes towards the whole world, who defends Islam? Is it the extremists or the moderates who are praised by the West? By God, they won’t be happy with you until you follow their faith. Those who know their religion well should know that the most important thing after belief in God the Almighty is fighting these rulers who have substituted the laws of God with the laws of the people and cowboys.
احمد جمالى Posted 2008-07-15
I have visited your site by chance. I liked it and liked its valuable topics. I wish to all its administrators success. See you soon. Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.
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