Brief

<p>In a session titled &ldquo;The Making of an Extremist&rdquo;, Abdullah Bajad Al-Otaibi, writer, political activist and commentator, discussed the idea of extremism in the Middle East. He explained how governments can tackle the multilayered problem of extremism, within their national borders.&nbsp; </p> <p>Al-Otaibi said that it is the job of the general Muslim population to acknowledge the existence of Islamic terrorism and to work together to purge it. Furthermore, he explained that if Muslims do not tackle this problem, it will not disappear on its own. He also explained that it is not the religious text that instigates violence or hate, as texts can be interpreted differently by different people, and this problem of misinterpretation is currently plaguing Islam.</p> <p>Furthermore, Al-Otaibi highlighted the difference between Islam and political Islam where one is simply a religion; the latter is an ideology. The latter has been used methodically to strip Islam of all its tolerance and co-existence, to use it to promote hate and violence.&nbsp; Additionally, political groups that exploit Islam as a religion, are rooted in the idea of a Caliphate that do not acknowledge borders or nation states. A modern day feature of terrorist groups is that they have utilized globalization and technological advancements to spread their ideology at a rapid pace. These terrorist groups accept the use of violence in order to achieve their goals. Initially, their beliefs are rooted in intellectual notions of ignorance, governance, allegiance, excommunication of Muslims that do not follow their beliefs and their own interpretation of jihad. Their ideas are further developed under the context of self-isolation, criminalization of society and hypocritical discourse. Finally, they perpetuate violence through hostile actions such as suicide bombings, hangings, kidnappings and also arming themselves against perceived enemies.&nbsp;</p> <p>Al-Otaibi concluded by saying that in order for governments to tackle the deep-rooted issue of Islamic terrorism, they must work on three fronts. Firstly, governments should adopt a national strategy that is localized for their own particular culture that addresses their personal needs. Secondly, government organizations should be created with the task of dealing with terrorism. Finally, terrorist funding must be cut off. Al-Otaibi highlighted that &ldquo;The battle against terrorism is long, but there is hope&rdquo;.</p>

Speakers

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