TU President calls for fighting terrorism by dismantling its discourse and spreading tolerance and moderation
date of publication : 2019-04-17
TU President Dr. Husam Zaman stressed the need not to link terrorism to religions, warning that such linkage would only promote hostility and hatred among cultures and nations and feed terrorism, instead of fighting it. In “The Role of Education in Combating Terrorism and Extremism” conference, organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Dr. Zaman noted the correlation between terrorism and ignorance, that hatred and hostility towards others, intellectual rigidity, and rejection of innovative ideas and modernist approaches to the development of contemporary societies are the ideological underpinnings of terrorism. He also stressed that terrorist groups and extremists propagate their misguided ideas through the escalation and counter-escalation tactic, attract followers and supporters with a hate speech to justify fighting and killing others.
Dr. Zaman called upon universities to take a greater role in countering terrorism and preventing radical ideas through the proper teaching of religion, disseminating the concepts of moderation, tolerance, and coexistence through academic curricula and media discourse targeting all classes of society. Fighting ignorance and rereading history away from the tendentious and divisive discourse of polarization and zealotry are equally important in the fight against terrorism and extremism. "The fight against terrorism,” said TU President, “requires not only the adoption of a moderate discourse and dialogue to dismantle extremist rhetoric, but also investing in cyberspace by preparing qualified cadres to confront the rhetoric of terrorism and extremism with high professionalism."
The Voice of Wisdom Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences jointly launched last week a conference entitled "The Role of Education in Combating Terrorism and Extremism: The World's Leading Experiences in Establishing the Values of Coexistence and Peace.” The two-day conference examined international experiences in combating extremism and terrorism through the curricular promotion of education and coexistence. The conference analyzed and studied the mechanisms applied in many Islamic countries to develop educational curricula that ingrain tolerance and coexistence, and the role played by educational institutions in formulating a discourse based on the principles of peace and brotherhood and confronting violence and extremism.