GCC shows the way in fight against terror

The bloc has been very clear that it is a natural part of the global alliance to counter the scourge

The six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council have been in the front line of the fight against terror for years. They have led the way in both the security struggle against those who wish to inflict acts of terror on innocent people and have also taken the time and effort to reinforce their national identities and articulate their values more clearly so that individuals are less likely to fall foul of the terrorist recruiters.

Therefore, it was natural that the annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh this year focused on terror, with Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz as host leading the way with the essential point that “terrorism has no religion and Islam, as a religion of moderation, fully rejects and condemns terrorism”.

The Gulf states have been an active part of the fight against terror in a wide variety of places, and following the attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, King Salman made a point by reminding the world of the GCC’s tremendous efforts to fight terror and that the GCC states “will continue their efforts in cooperation and coordination with sisterly and friendly countries”.

The GCC has been very clear that it is a natural part of the global alliance against terrorists.

For example, the UAE has been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for many years with the Nato/ISAF alliance and is in action in Yemen, fighting Al Houthis with the Saudis, Bahrainis and others, as well as taking part in fighting Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).

Therefore, it is all the more significant that countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE resist the terrorists in the battle of ideas and prove that their vacuous and destructive ideology is shown up for the hollow horror that it is. The GCC has stood up for the rule of law, stable institutions, tolerance between people and sects and a system of government that supports the right of individuals to better themselves.