All countries must isolate terrorism to vanquish it: Modi
MODI IN MALAYSIA
NOVEMBER 21-23
KUALA LUMPUR: The global community should step up the fight against terrorism by delinking it from religion and ensuring that no country promotes militants by according them sanctuary and funds, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Modi, who made these observations while addressing acrowd of about 15,000 at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, stated that security cooperation alone would not be enough to contain militancy.
“Terrorism is the biggest threat to the world today. It uses the name of religion to draw people,” he said. “We have to delink religion from terror. The only distinction is between those who believe in humanity and those who do not.”
Reiterating the call he made at two weekend summits and bilateral meetings on the mar- gins of the ASEAN Summit, Modi said the world “must come together to combat the biggest challenge of our times”. “But when I say that the world must come together, it is not just about more security cooperation,” he said. “It also means ensuring that no country uses or promotes terrorism. There are no sanctuaries. There are no funds. There are no arms.”
Stating that countries will also have to work within their societies and with their youth, he said: “We need the support of parents, communities and religious scholars. And we have to make sure that the Internet does not become a recruiting ground.”
“We have to promote peaceful relations, mutual understanding and cooperation in our region,” Modi said at the event, speaking in English because many there hailed from South India. “So, all nations in the region, big and small, should work together to ensure that our nations remain safe, our seas secure and free for commerce, and our economies prosperous.”
Referring to an event earlier in the day, during which he unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda, Modi said the monk had drawn on India’s ancient wisdom to make a call for unity in the world.
“And at a time of great challenges in the world, this statue on the soil of Malaysia is a reminder to the world of the values we so deeply need to repair the faultlines that are tearing our societies apart,” he said.
India, he remarked, was torn by Partition at its birth, but continued to be united while drawing strength from its diversity. “It is a nation where every citizen belongs, where everyone has equal rights that the Constitution guarantees, the courts protect, and the government defends,” he said.