Combating terrorism and religious extremism

Syria was among the first states in the world which called for putting a clear definition for terrorism and distinguishing it from the resistance of occupation which has been guaranteed by the UN Charter and international law. Damascus recently hosted an international conference on combating terrorism and religious extremism as part of the efforts it has been exerting for almost four years in relation to countering the phenomenon of terrorism and religious extremism. The conference was held while the war against Syria is grinding on into its fourth year. This war targets Syria, homeland and people, and the resistance axis against Israel.

There is a necessity to create a non-politicized definition of international terrorism that would be adopted by the UN Security Council, and the Council should possess firm and clear will to achieve international peace and security away from the policy of double standards when considering terrorism-related issues. The absence of a clear definition of terrorism gave some western states the opportunity to exploit it and use human rights as a pretext to support and train terrorist organizations.

Combating terrorism should be taken on the international level through the UN without interfering in the internal affairs of any state under the pretext of fighting terrorism, or interpreting the UN resolutions selectively.

The national sovereignty of states and non-interference in states’ internal affairs which the UN Charter guarantee have become mere ink on paper as the U.S. is now interfering in other states’ affairs and breaching their sovereignty under the pretexts of humanitarianism and counterterrorism.

The siege imposed on some countries for political reasons is considered a terrorism act. The unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria by the US and European Union are illegal and violate the international law. There is a necessity of identifying the blockade and sanctions on Syria as economic terrorism which is no less serious than the bloodthirsty Takfiri terrorism.

To make terrorism-combating efforts a success an international plan approved by the international community is needed. To achieve this end, there should be a UN-brokered international conference and having an internationally accepted common legal definition of terrorism.

The double standards of some countries towards what is taking place in Syria and their efforts to give legitimacy to the acts of the terrorists who are fighting the Syrian people, destroying state establishments and plundering public and private properties, are mere attempts to pass the Zionist project in the region, which aims among other things, to perpetuate the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories.

There is also a dire need to combat wahhabism as a terrorist mentality and the Security Council should ban Wahhabism-promoting curricula and blocking websites used to spread takfiri and Wahabbi thinking which distorted the true nature of Islam.

It is also important to condemn and pursue those who are looting the historical, oil and economic wealth of the Syrian people and considering that act a direct support for terrorists. The UN and INTERPOL should take appropriate procedures in cooperation with the Syrian government to punish those who steal the Syrian resources.

The Syrian government and people will proceed with their efforts in fighting terrorism wherever it is on the Syrian soil. Syria has reiterated support for any sincere international effort against terrorism providing that Syria’s national sovereignty and international conventions be respected.

K.Q.