TIME FOR A NEW PARTNERSHIP TO FIGHT TERRORISM
Nations must work together to fight the ignorance, exclusion and grievance that fuel extremism
IT is always a pleasure to be in Saudi Arabia, but I am especially glad to be in Riyadh for what King Salman has rightfully referred to as a “historic” United States-Arab-Islamic Summit. Our meeting could not be more timely or necessary. I am confident this gathering will renew and re-energise the friendship between all present and produce new roadmaps for cooperation, security and understanding.
High on the agenda will be the fact that although the so-called caliphate established by Daesh in Iraq and Syria is diminishing, none should doubt that the threat from terrorists who blaspheme the name of Islam remains high. For the nations gathered for the summit it may be higher, as fighters fleeing the lands they have occupied and despoiled return to their own countries and plot to bring terror to our cities.
Few have been spared. In Malaysia, we suffered our first attempted Daesh-linked attack last year, and it is only through the determined, heroic actions of our police and security forces that there were no fatalities and further atrocities have been thwarted.
Now more than ever, the world needs the new partnership to confront extremism and terrorism that King Salman proposes we build at this summit. I thank him for his invitation and welcome the participation of the other states attending.
It is crucial that all Muslim countries and leaders make it absolutely clear that there is nothing Islamic about terrorism. Those who say it is have been deceived by false preachers and by those who are ignorant of or misinformed about our religion. Authentic Islam is a religion of enlightenment, civilisation and scholarship, not of destruction and death.
The true Islam is a religion of peace, as is shown by the way for over 1,000 years Muslims, Christians and Jews have lived and traded with and befriended each other in the Middle East, just as in Malaysia, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Taoists and others work and play side by side in harmony.
To reinforce that, the Malaysian government has promoted the concept of the Quranic injunction toward moderation. I am pleased that our efforts will be further boosted by the establishment of the King Salman Centre for International Peace in our capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Saudi Arabia is a true friend to Malaysia, and we were delighted to host King Salman on his recent state visit, during which Saudi confidence in our economy was shown by Saudi Aramco’s announcement of its US$7 billion investment in a refinery project with our state oil and gas company Petronas.
These historic high ties are just one of the reasons that Malaysia fully supports this summit. We are in total accordance with its aims to increase tolerance and coexistence, and to enhance security, stability and cooperation.
Both at home and abroad, Malaysia is fully committed to fighting the threats of terrorism and violent extremism. As a UN member, Malaysia has fully supported UN efforts such as the secretary-general’s “plan of action in preventing violent extremism”, which calls for intelligencesharing among member states.
We are a state party to nine out of 14 international legal instruments concerning counterterrorism, and we are part of the global coalition against Daesh. Malaysia also supports the Centre for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding, an initiative of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.
This strong stance has been translated into reality with considerable practical effect in our own country. We have placed great emphasis on pushing counter-narratives via social media, and have founded the Regional Digital Counter-Messaging Centre to combat extremism in Malaysia, Southeast Asia and beyond.
We in Malaysia also have considerable experience in rehabilitating people who have succumbed to the siren voices of terrorism. This is something we have pursued because we know we should not give up on those who have been led astray, but could still return to being useful members of society.
MAY 21, 2017
Our de-radicalisation programme has worked with hundreds of extremists, and has had a 95 per cent success rate in reintegrating them so they can return to the mainstream and show that even those who have fallen prey to false and evil ideologies can ultimately reject them and be a warning, example and instruction to others.
We are willing and happy to share our experience and expertise in this with all countries at the summit. For just as with my call for a Global Movement of Moderates at the UN in 2010, and our establishment of a foundation to support it in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will never falter in its efforts to fight for moderation and the true path of Islam, and to say loudly and clearly to the extremists that they do not speak for us.
This summit represents an important attempt to bring ties between the Muslim world and the US to new levels. With even greater mutual understanding, we can work together all the better to fight the ignorance, exclusion and sense of grievance that can fuel violent extremism. We know President Donald Trump is committed to eradicating Daesh. Under my leadership, so will Malaysia be, as should all Muslim countries at this summit and beyond.
We must ensure that the barbarism we see in Syria and Iraq is rooted out. We must show that we stand ready to confront terror swiftly and decisively wherever and whenever it manifests itself. We must never surrender.
It is up to all of us at the summit to forge this partnership and prove, once and for all, that there is no clash of civilisations between the Muslim world and the West. There is only a clash with civilisation, and on that members of all religions must stand united, firm, determined and ready to act.