STORY AND PHOTO BY SGT. YOUTOY MARTIN/U.S. ARMY CENTRAL
Kuwaiti military personnel and staff from the Directorate of Moral Guidance and Public Relations partnered in May 2016 in Kuwait City with U.S. Army Central (ARCENT) chaplains in a bilateral security seminar on countering religious extremism.
The seminar gave ARCENT chaplains a forum to learn from their Kuwaiti partners and have an open discussion about misconceptions and misunderstandings created by violent extremist groups such as Daesh.
“Our Muslim partners are very willing to get up and say these acts by extremist groups are a misrepresentation of Islam, and the group needs to be defeated,” said Col. Jeffrey D. Hawkins, ARCENT command chaplain. “It’s great to experience our Muslim partners being energized to speak out.”
Hawkins said the seminar was a step toward multilateral engagements with partner nations in the region focused on extremism. “We would speak with one voice with our Muslim partners in the lead stating that Daesh is a misrepresentation of Islam,” Hawkins said.
Since a key leader engagement in August 2015, the partnership has grown as the members work to develop ways to counter extremism and discredit terror groups.
The four-day seminar concluded with a cultural exchange trip to the grand mosque in Kuwait City. Sheikh Abdullah M.M. Alshoreka, secretary of the Supreme Commission for the Promotion of Moderation, was a guest speaker.
He spoke of what Islam is, what it represents and the path Muslims should follow. “Discussion is the first step to dealing with extremist thoughts,” Alshoreka said. “We all are in the same ship. Islam can work together with other religions and move forward with them.”
ARCENT consistently partners with regional nations to maintain peace and stability in the region. A proposed multilateral symposium would see more Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council partners involved.
“Our commander’s vision is to cultivate and accelerate partnerships,” Hawkins said. “We are doing this to protect national interests and readiness by countering religious extremism.”