‘Extremism online is region’s worst threat’

British minister says solutions have to be universal

ABU DHABI // The greatest challenge facing the region is the growth of extremism and the recruitment of young people using the internet, according to a British MP.

Tobias Ellwood, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the foreign and commonwealth office for the Middle East and Africa, was on a one-day visit to the Emirates.

“One of the biggest challenges is the growth of extremism and the poisonous ideology challenging the peaceful religion of Islam,” he said.

“We know the internet is the primary vehicle for attracting extremism.

“It is attracting young, naive people or people from modest backgrounds, promising things that will never be fulfilled and that’s a big challenge we have to face even if we defeat ISIL.”

He said the challenge of combating extremism would not be overcome with ISIL being pushed out of Iraq.

Experts agreed. Before ISIL took control of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the ideology existed online, said Dr Mustafa Alani, head of security and terrorism at the Gulf Research Centre.

“The physical state wasn’t there, it was only on websites.

“So even if you push them out of the cities they occupy now, which are two major ones, the organisation is able to survive.”

Mr Ellwood, who took part in the UK-UAE task force with Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the threat was global and the solutions had to be, too.

“It will take a long time to stop people being absorbed into extremism because of the internet,” he said. “But we have building blocks – 60 countries came together in coalition against ISIL.” Two years ago, the UAE launched the Sawab Centre, jointly run by the Emirates and the United States, to counter extremist propaganda on social media.

But Mr Ellwood said the international community had not acquired the skills yet to close down all websites that made “false promises”.

“There is no 100 per cent victory where you eliminate the enemy completely by military means,” said Dr Alani. “It’s only one part of the requirement.

“To stop it, you starve the organisation of new members and the recruitment mainly happens online.”

Mr Ellwood said there were many segments to tackling the issue. “The military component is one while another is stopping the flow of funding,” he said.

“We also need humanitarian and stabilisation support for countries affected by extremism.” He commended the UAE’s humanitarian work as both it and the UK are deepening their collaboration and responses to humanitarian crises in Yemen, Syria and Somalia. “We have a lot in common to make sure we help those who are caught up in manmade problems like war or war governance as well as natural disasters like famine and drought,” he said.