UAE calls upon OIC to adopt collective approach to counter terrorism

NEW YORK, 23rd September, 2016 (WAM) – The United Arab Emirates called upon the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to adopt a collective and strategic approach that strengthens its role in international counter-terrorism efforts.

''Extremism, terrorism and sectarianism have become an international menace that seeks to undermine the nation state, dismember the social fabric and societal harmony, and threaten national and regional security as well as international peace and security,'' said Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, in a statement at the annual co-ordination meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the OIC, which was held on Thursday, 22nd September, 2016, on the margins of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The meeting discussed the main issues in the Muslim world and those on the agenda of the UNGA.

Sheikha Lubna reiterated the UAE's unequivocal position of denouncing extremism, terrorism, sectarianism, and countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations regardless of its motives, justifications and sources.

''The UAE is mobilising the international community to counter terrorism,'' she added, citing the country's participation in regional and international counter-terrorism coalitions.

''We believe that fighting terrorism is a collective responsibility that should be shared by all OIC member states and we must all come together and join the fight against extremism and terrorism through the adoption of a collective approach and holistic, strategy to enable the OIC play its role effectively and make significant contributions to international counter-terrorism effort,'' Sheikha Lubna said.

The cultural, intellectual and media factors, she stressed, should be key components of the counter-terrorism strategy.

She called for engaging scholars, thought leaders and religious institutions in the fight against terrorist ideology and hate, extremist speech.

Outlining the UAE's efforts in this respect, Sheikha Lubna said the country hosted Hedayah, the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and launched the Sawab Centre which uses online communication and social media to counter propaganda of extremist organisations.

On the Middle East, Sheikha Lubna stressed that peace in the region requires Israel to withdraw from all Arab and Palestinian territories it occupied since 1967 and to enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the borderline of June 4, 1967, with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

The UAE, she continued, supports a comprehensive settlement based on international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

She said that Israel's measures that threaten the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque would only fuel violence and extremism in the region and stoke the conflict in the Middle East. She called on the Islamic countries to help the Palestinian people strengthen their resistance against Judaisation of Jerusalem.

As for Syria, she said, the UAE supports a political solution based on the Geneva Communique 1 which fulfils the aspirations of the Syrian people to form a transitional authority that works to end the spiral of killing, violence and destruction, and creates appropriate conditions for building a Syria that accommodates all national components and fights terrorism, Daesh and sectarianism.

Sheikha Lubna also called for stepping up regional and international efforts to secure required resources for supporting Syrian refugees and displaced persons particularly in host neighbouring countries.

She called on the international community to ramp up the pressure on all sides to ensure implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions regarding the humanitarian situation in Syria and the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced persons.

The UAE, she further added, is continuing its efforts to provide basic needs to the Syrian refugees.

On Libya, Sheikha Lubna said she reiterated the UAE's call for respecting the territorial integrity of Libya and its political independence and the need for dialogue among political forces that reject violence and extremism. The government of national accord should also be supported, she affirmed.

She called on the political factions to expedite the implementation of the political agreement.

She also said the UAE was following with concern the increasing influence of Daesh in Libya, a development that requires the international community to maximise its efforts to fight it.

Addressing the issue of the Rohingya community in Myanmar, Sheikha Lubna expressed the UAE's grave concern about what they were enduring and called on countries and the international community to take whatever is necessary to tackle the appalling humanitarian situation they were experiencing.

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