Although there is no commonly accepted definition of terrorism, it targets not only people, but also our culture, our values and beliefs. As it is said terrorism has no religion and terrorists have no country. The head of the International Center for Civil Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence, Sheikh Lotfi Shandarly talked to Eurasia Diary about terrorism and its "attractive" impact over the youth.
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Sheikh Lotfi Shandarly
President of the International Center for Civil Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence
An international phenomenon caused and is still causing many crises and wars that brought destruction upon nations, people and societies, throughout the history. Not falling in the trap of definitions and label, terrorism , is a clear assault on values and rights that were woven in the frames of human relations that stands on the principles of tolerance, reconciliation and harmonization and other values and action and pillars that reinforce the culture of coexistence, and respect of one another.
Terrorism, the cancer of the era, a flood of hate and hostility, that should not be allowed to spread and take control, because it will destroy us all, god forbid, and will not leave a place but practice its demonic identity by spreading destruction and chaos. Organized Terrorism is the cancer of the Era, which we should get rid of.
Going back in history, terrorism in all its forms and levels was able to ignite strive and destroy homelands and split societies, because it is a diseases led by inhuman groups and unethical countries. Terrorism in all its forms is a mix of madness, hostility, and extremism. But how did terrorism emerge and how did it expand especially in our Arabic and Muslim society? Here, we cannot blame only the external impact and the bouncebacks and forget interior factors like education, that some has been trying to take control of for years, as well as hate speech that is practiced by well-known figures, the media that provokes hate and violence, all this creates a breeder of terrorism.
With a quick summary and directness, terrorism was able to prosper and cultivate itself due to the defects in ethics and values that built up through the history of our society creating defected mature thoughts that helped those terrorist groups to rise.
It seems like, time has come to stand up against terrorism and announce a state of alertness to flight this cancer. We are fighting an international war against terrorism, a phenomenon that can be decisive like a chameleon, cunning like a snake, hitting all the week parts of the body. We are in great need to educate our youth and kids through reassuring on the values and ethics we hold, as well as dismissing sectarianism, hate speech, and intolerance, in the hope that we would be able to heal from this cancer.
Yasmeen Abdulhak
