Riyadh Moot on Terrorism
By the Editor

TO combat the perils of terrorism, Saudi Arabia—at the weekend organized a four-day International Conference with capital Riyadh as its venue.

This was the first international conference of such a big scale to discuss this dangerous phenomenon. About 50 countries attended the moot.

By all perceptions—terrorism is a scourge that has overwhelmed the world in recent years. It has, as a matter of fact, destabilized many countries.

Afghanistan and Iraq have been occupied in the name of terrorism. Simultaneously, the Western countries especially the United States are living in a state of constant fear.

Besides this, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and several other countries have been victim of terrorism over the years.

Thus the decision to hold the International Conference was a timely step to evaluate the causes of terrorism and identify the measures needed for countering the curse.

It is hoped that deliberations at the Riyadh moot will prove pragmatic and meaningful and will comprehensively develop a mechanism that may be helpful in dealing with the menace on strong and permanent basis.

There is, however, hardly any doubt that injustice, domination, economic subjugation and deprivation lead to despair and frustration, which, in turn, breed terrorism.

It’s, therefore, high time that the fundamental causes that give birth to the scourge should be addressed at every fora to achieve the desired results.

At the same time, it is established beyond any shadow of doubt that issues such as Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya, which have emerged due to occupation, deprivation and injustice, need to be resolved—if at all any effort against terrorism is desired to be successful.

There ought to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that use of force can never succeed in eliminating the nuisance of terrorism from the world.

Pragmatically, the fight against terrorism should not be used as a pretext to suppress legitimate struggles for right to self- determination.

Virtually, a few individual acts of terrorism by some desperate members of freedom movements are no excuse to de-legitimize the freedom struggles for the realization of their birth right to self-determination.

It’s proven up to the hilt from the proliferation of terrorism since US invasion of Afghanistan—three years ago.

President Musharraf’s concept of enlightened moderation is perhaps the best way forward in the given circumstances to deal with the scourge effectively—and permanently. This can help overcome fundamentalism and extremism—in whatever shape it exists.

As a matter of fact, the concept stresses on mounting a concerted campaign against extremism, fundamentalism and sectarianism to create an enabling environment where a moderate tolerant Islam, reflecting the essence of our faith could flourish.

This cogent idea also calls upon the international community, explicitly the West, to step forward to help resolve political disputes affecting Muslims.

Amid this situation, the conference could contemplate to propose the measures like abiding by the universally accepted principles of international law and human rights in the war against terrorism.

Towards this, the West and the Muslim world need to play their respective roles to obliterate terrorism for good—in all times to come.

At the same time it will be appropriate to identify the linkages between terrorism, drug trafficking, gunrunning and money laundering for a broad based strategy to curb this menace.

We feel that a long term success vis-à-vis combating terrorism requires strategic alliance of an international coalition and countries need to cooperate through intelligence, law enforcement, military, financial and diplomatic channels to identify, disrupt, capture and debilitate terrorists and their nasty network.

We would like to call upon intelligentsia, civil society and media organizations—the world-over—to play their role to create public awareness about the dangers—terrorism poses to global society in the present epoch. This shall be a great service to humankind and civilizations, wherever they live-on around the Orb.●