Jordan scholars stress need for international response to terrorism

Muslim scholars taking part in a recent symposium in Amman called for renewed efforts to counter extremist ideology, stressing that terrorism is an international problem and should not be linked to any particular religion.

Participants at the August 6th event, "Towards new tools to combat extremism and terrorism", organised by the International Forum for Moderation in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Culture, called for comprehensive efforts to counter extremist ideology at all levels.

Focus must be directed towards inoculating youth so they will not fall prey to the deviant ideology and recruitment attempts of terrorist groups, they said.

"This symposium seeks to discuss new tactics that can be put forth to combat extremism and terrorism, which has become the scourge of this era," forum secretary-general Marwan Faouri said at the opening of the symposium.

The event aims to defeat those who spread extremist ideas and prevent terrorism from becoming a path used to achieve political and personal ends, he said.

Combating terrorism is not the responsibility of one particular country but is rather a global responsibility, he stressed.

Extremists manipulate religion

"The existence of different religions is reason to get acquainted with each other, co-exist and share life together," Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Holy Places Hayel Daoud told Al-Mashareq.

"Unfortunately some extremist groups such as the 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) [...] are using religion to justify their evil ends," said Daoud.

All peoples and countries are suffering from the scourge of terrorism, and no one has been spared from terrorist groups, he added, noting the need for greater co-operation among all countries and scholars to refute terrorist ideas.

Muslims living in the West also have been victims of terrorism, he said, referring to recent attacks in France and Belgium, among others. At the same time, he said, they have been victims of Islamophobia and negative perception, as terrorists are distorting the image of Islam and its followers.

Activating the role of scholars

All religions condemn violence, racism and non-acceptance of others, Jordan Interfaith Conference co-founder Hamdi Murad told Al-Mashareq.

"All religions are innocent of terrorism," he said. "Work is needed to co-ordinate and unify efforts on a larger scale in order to combat terrorism, which is a global phenomenon."

Murad said co-operation must be increased between intellectuals and religious leaders to clarify religious texts and debunk the ideology of extremist groups.

"Terrorist groups justify their actions by claiming they are seeking to achieve justice and lift injustice, while in reality these groups violate human ethics, principles and rights and falsify facts and religion to serve their own ends," he said.

In addition to military efforts, efforts to combat terrorist groups must focus on youth and parents in an intellectual and educational manner, Al-Balqa Applied University sociology professor Hussain al-Khuzaie told Al-Mashareq.

Families are integral to countering terrorism, he said.

Symposium participants called for the development of a training curriculum for scholars, which would later be applied at other institutions, for upgrading the educational curriculum in schools and updating religious discourse.