A United Arab Emirates scholar outlines a case for reducing religious extremism
DR. JAMAL SANAD AL-SUWAIDI, Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research
The struggle against extremist groups and organizations such as Daesh is not limited to military and security operations. It is also an extended war of an essentially intellectual nature that requires long-term planning. This is no less important — indeed, perhaps even more so — than planning in military and security terms. Academic scholarship plays a vital role in protecting the security of nations and societies.
In my recently published book, The Mirage, I argue that the Muslim world needs an intellectual revival that includes separating politics from extremist religious messages as a prerequisite for the achievement of real progress. This relationship between religion and politics is a pertinent issue having a notable impact on the current regional environment in the Arab and Islamic worlds — which incidentally prevents many Arab and Islamic societies from keeping up with the march of modernity, progress and development.
By this I don’t mean removing religion from daily life. Nothing could be further from my mind. But there is a shared belief among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states that reform is necessary and closely connected to domestic and regional security and stability. These countries, as well as Jordan, have moved to increase social interaction by listening to and acknowledging citizens’ concerns, often via social media, and subsequently addressing them.
Countering intolerant and regressive ideas of religious political groups requires a multidimensional approach. Cultural and intellectual arguments are as equally important as military intervention. We need to uproot these destructive ideas, thereby limiting the ability of those who seek to manipulate the minds of the youth or exploit difficult economic and social circumstances in certain communities that otherwise can be targeted as a breeding ground.
We must promote a culture of moderation in all Gulf, Arab and Islamic communities and bolster efforts to confront those destructive ideologies that contradict both humanity and the tolerant principles of Islam.
This also means strengthening cooperation between religious institutions in GCC countries and religious institutions in the Arab and Islamic worlds, especially those institutions whose influence extends across the region and more broadly across the international community, such as Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
The objective is not only to confront these destructive ideologies, but to unmask the real objectives of those propagating such ideologies, their inherent corruption, thereby revealing their true nature, namely the practice or justification of violence concealed and camouflaged under the veil of religion.
Another issue is finance and recruitment of extremists, and here the problem goes beyond the Middle East. Non-Arab states must do more to stop money from going to terrorists and improve surveillance of recruiters operating in foreign countries. It’s surprising to me that Daesh, despite operating so far away in Syria and northern Iraq, has successfully recruited Muslims living in Europe. It is almost inexplicable that these groups should be able to find in many European countries a fertile environment that enables them to disseminate their ideas.
Therefore, these areas must be targeted and countered, and as such, it is essential for the European and American governments to cooperate with the counterpropaganda efforts made by the GCC countries. These young Muslims should be informed and educated about the danger posed by the group and its destructive views, which, in fact, contradict the principles of Islam and true Islamic values.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks to spread the culture of genuine Islam, augmenting efforts to counter extreme ideologies that undermine human values and the tolerant principles of Islam, with the purpose of finding solutions for the issues facing Muslims all over the world.
Daesh rationalizes its violence and horror by appealing to glory. When it comes to extremism, the myth of the moral righteousness of wanton bloodshed can and must be punctured. The greatest crime in Islam is the taking of innocent lives. The Quran also makes suicide an instant disqualifier for heaven. Furthermore, Islam calls on its faithful to be the best Muslims they can be, and this includes promoting educational and social advancement.
Extremism, with its destruction of human lives and important societal institutions, directly contradicts these edicts. First, in the extremists’ vision of the caliphate, women are actually subordinate to men. Even more egregious is the extremists’ hijacking of the concept of “community building” — as nefarious a euphemism as could be — because in practice it involves rape and forcible child bearing.
Decisions to join Daesh are highly personal, and must be countered by highly personal campaigns; the extremists’ narrative must be challenged at a grassroots level though social media campaigns juxtaposing extremists’ repressive behavior toward women with the promise of a university degree, for example.
Successful examples can also be found in UAE public awareness campaigns, which have been conducted by religious authorities to expose the lies and dangers of violent extremism. A culture of political moderation has taken hold that engages our youth at a young age and provides them outlets for expression as they mature. The UAE also recently launched a new media initiative, called Sawab, to counter the propaganda of radical religious extremists across the region.
When it comes to punishment, I disagree with calls to implement the death penalty for those caught joining a terrorist cause. A better choice is rehabilitation for those who have not yet committed murder or other serious crimes.
We should educate all other segments of society about the merciful principles of Islam and explain to them that Islam prohibits violence and emphasizes the need to spread the values of peace, tolerance and acceptance.
Lack of education and economic development play a contributing role in fomenting extremism. One of the problems faced by these countries is the declining level of education that leaves segments of society vulnerable to destructive ideologies propagated by political and religious groups. In relatively poorer countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan, extremism has flourished among the poorly educated who are unaware of the consequences of their beliefs.
Pakistan and Afghanistan should encourage institutions to establish branches of prestigious Islamic universities or religious institutions and task them with confronting extremist ideologies, as well as encouraging them to disseminate more moderate and more tolerant values.
In addition, development assistance will also be required. There is no doubt that troubled economic conditions in these countries are fueling the rise in extremism and terrorism; it is well-known that these terrorist groups look to exploit these conditions in their recruitment of vulnerable young people.
Therefore, one of the main objectives of the development assistance provided by the GCC to these countries is to help them overcome these fraught economic conditions that facilitate the spread of extremism. This includes improving their education systems and creating job opportunities for vulnerable young people.
Overall, the antidote to the extremists’ mirage is reality. There is a vivid and terrifying reality of facts that can confront and defeat their lies. And there is a reality of hope and opportunity that must be created for young people to have a stake in tolerance and peace.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi is director general
of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and political advisor to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.