Sanctions, media propaganda forms of new terrorism

TEHRAN– Speaking at ‘Elites Coalition against Terrorism’ conference on Tue. Ali Shamkhani discussed various forms of terrorism and stressed the importance of an intellectual parry against terrorism.

Iran’s Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani inaugurated on Tuesday the Conference on Elites Coalition against Terrorism for Just Peace and explained the theoretical framework and intellectual contexts of modern terrorism and gave an analysis on regional security developments after the expansion of Takfiri terrorism activities, according to Mehr News.

Shamkhani noted that the nature of terrorism becomes more complicated every day and extends into various forms such as bio-terrorism, cyber terrorism, invisible terrorism, mental terrorism, software and Takfiri terrorism; “over time, terrorism has taken on a different shape from its initial form, and has changed from an act of physical violence into economic, cultural, governmental and other different shapes of terrorism,” he said. 

He went on to add that terrorist groups and their regional and international supporters aim to deviate the Islamic Awakening movement, weaken the resistance front in the region, and steal other countries’ oil and sources of wealth.

Shamkhani highlighted the significant role of elites in countering Takfiri terrorism, adding “eliminating terrorist groups such as ISIL, in addition to military measures, requires a cultural and intellectual countering in a way that their roots, nature, objectives, methods and legitimacy will be discussed and determined from an Islamic point of view.”

He then referred to the propagandistic use of ISIL by the West for pursuing Islamophobia policies, saying “using ‘Islamic State’ for ISIL and repeating the term in media outlets and accusing Muslims of causing insecurity in the world and depicting a negative image of Islam are all types of media and propaganda terrorism.”

“Countries culpable of sacrificing millions of innocent lives during the world wars and colonialism to advance their own ambitious agenda are now accusing Islam of being violent,” he said.

Shamkhani further added that any measure that threatens the lives of innocent people is a form of terrorism, such as the cruel imposition of economic, medical and treatment sanctions, aviation and industrial sanctions, as well as the blind use of military drones against civilians.

“The grip of justice will never let go of terrorists in all their transformed shapes and will punish them in any part of the world,” he said.

Conference on Elites Coalition against Terrorism for Just Peace convened on Feb. 9 in Tehran with over 500 theorists, human rights activists, academicians, elites and high-ranking officials in attendance. The event is a sequel to a series of national, regional and international meetings inside Iran and abroad in the field of peace and justice.

M.Wassouf