http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=117383&d=21&m=12&y=2008&pix=opinion.jpg&category=Opinion
Sunday 21 December 2008 (23 Dhul Hijjah 1429)
Time for all of us to stand against evil
Samar Fatany | samarfat...@hotmail.com
I was overwhelmed with hope at the sight of thousands of people holding
hands in Mumbai calling for better governance and leadership from their
country's politicians. In a peaceful demonstration called "Mumbai for Peace,"
more than 200 groups, from nongovernmental organizations, the business
community and student movements took to the streets to protest against the
devastating attacks that have killed nearly 200 innocent people and injured
hundreds more. Their message was, "We are united; we want peace, and nobody can
create any wedge or difference to divide us. We are Indians first and last."
I wish this message could be heard and echoed all over the world. The
peace lovers of this world also should show solidarity and resilience to stand
against those forces and movements that create conflicts and seek to manipulate
the minds of the innocent to carry out terrorist acts for the selfish gains of
others. We must all unite to confront this destructive political agenda of
these forces of evil.
The Saudi government and all Arab and Islamic organizations have
condemned the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The majority of the Arab and Islamic world have denounced the barbaric
act and stressed the need to protect humanity and stop the vicious cycle of
violence. In a strong statement condemning the attack, an official from Jama
Masjid Trust, which runs a large cemetery in downtown Mumbai, rejected the
bodies of the nine dead attackers and said: "People who committed this heinous
crime cannot be called Muslim."
The Muslim majorities agree that the perpetrators of this heinous crime
should be brought to justice and receive the ultimate punishment.
In Saudi Arabia, an expert committee in the Council of Ministers is
studying a draft law to punish those involved in terrorism and other criminal
acts that threaten all nations' security. The new law will deal with all
organized crimes and activities related to terrorism, and those involved in
such crimes will face maximum sentences of capital punishment. Interior
Minister Prince Naif described the various crimes of bombing, kidnapping and
terrorizing people as crimes of "haraba," a Qur'anic term defined as "sowing
corruption and chaos on earth." It is considered as the most grievous crimes
and, according to the Shariah, the guilty should be executed. Other
governmental agencies already have completed studies of anti-terror laws, state
security crimes and organized crimes.
The Saudi government has always called for confronting terrorism through
international cooperation.
The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah, reiterated the urgency for establishing a counterterrorism center in
order to strengthen global efforts to combat terrorism. The king had proposed
the counterterrorism center at the international anti-terror conference in
Riyadh three years ago. There is a need to reach a consensus on the global
definition for terrorism. Experts must recognize the root causes of this global
phenomenon There should be unanimous condemnation of terrorism, ethnic
cleansing and the instigation of wars that terrorize women and children and
conflicts that lead to bloodshed.
The center should identify the different terrorist organizations and
understand the motives behind the criminal acts perpetrated by these criminals.
Are we only threatened by Al-Qaeda network or are there other terrorist
organizations that are state funded? What motivates them? Are they politically,
socially or ideologically motivated? Who funds and feeds them with the
political agenda that makes them commit their heinous crimes? We need to study
the answers to these questions through a center of global cooperation and
shared information.
Violence breeds violence. So a new global strategy should strive to solve
conflicts through peaceful means. It is time we end the cycle of revenge and
destruction. More effort should be exerted toward a better understanding of the
distorted views of the terrorists, their tactics and motives. Only then can we
conquer this global menace that is ruining the future of our children and is a
threat to all humanity.
It is encouraging to note that the Saudi government has adopted a
strategy to address the spread of the deviant ideology that fuels the terrorist
mentality, and the government has embarked on a plan involving religious
scholars and social scientists to explain the true and moderate religious views.
Prince Naif has called for efforts to eradicate religious extremism and
propagate the moderate teachings of Islam that promote tolerance. The Interior
Ministry recently launched a campaign in Hafr Al-Batin in the Eastern Province
where preachers and experts are working toward reforming individuals arrested
on terror charges.
Addressing staff and students at the Islamic University in Madinah,
Prince Naïf urged all Saudi universities to fight terrorism and play a
significant role in conducting research to study why and how some young Saudis
were drawn to terrorist acts.
Saudi families need both direction and motivation to play a bigger role
in the war against religious extremism. The Kingdom is still threatened by
terrorists who have carried out more than 30 terror attacks that targeted
citizens, residents, security officers or national resources.
Recent studies have revealed that, in most cases, injustice, poverty and
neglect breed criminals who are bitter and corrupt. Therefore, governments must
apply justice for all, provide better wages and address the problem of
unemployment in order to allow people to live in dignity. Moreover, efforts
should be made to check the rise in domestic violence and to put an end to the
growing violence in schools.
In the blessed month of Haj, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah
delivered a sermon to more than one and a half million pilgrims and urged the
worshippers to settle disputes that have caused the Muslim nation untold
misery. Let us pray that Muslim worshippers heed his call, and let us hope that
peace lovers all over the world echo the words of Mumbai's demonstrators
calling for better leadership from their countries' politicians
- Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah
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