Jerusalem is not the plight of the Palestinians only and Terrorism endangers the whole world: Abou El-Enein
Egyptian businessman and honorary president of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliament Mohammed Abou El-Enein warned Tuesday in his speech at the Regional Conference for Parliamentarians on the Challenges Posed by Extremism Leading to Terrorism and Preventative Criminal Justice Responses، the international community against the political exploitation of terrorists to achieve narrow political objectives.
Abou El-Enein said: “Our focus should be on a number of points during the coming period in the war on terrorism، especially in light of the evolution of terror crime، which witnessed the development of the means used by terrorist organizations to promote their threats، crimes، recruit followers and obtain funds،”
He explained that the United Nations Security Council should bear its responsibilities in resolutely addressing the political exploitation of terrorists by nations and groups that seek to achieve narrow political objectives.
The council should pursue the full implementation of all its resolutions and international conventions related to combating terrorism and to hold countries sponsoring terrorism accountable، especially those that do not implement UN resolutions or continue financing، harboring and facilitating the passage of terrorists or do not cooperate in handing over terrorists، he added.
Abou El-Enein stressed that states and communities should not link terrorism with any religion، culture or people، as well as being cautious not to take any discriminatory decisions against countries simply because the majority of its population are Muslims، because such decisions damage the common war against extremism and support the advocates of violence and terrorism.
He pointed out that the most effective solution in dealing with terrorist threats requires a reconsideration of the concept of the state in the Middle East and that the Security Council would fulfill its responsibilities to reach political solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Palestine، as well as supporting the legitimate government efforts in Iraq، Libya and Yemen.
He warned against moving the US embassy to Jerusalem، saying that such move would spark an outbreak of a new wave of terrorist attacks in the region and will reach everyone، as a result of the important and special status of Jerusalem among Muslims، Christians and Jews، as it includes many holy places to all three religions.
In the lines to come, we shall review his speech in full;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I welcome you all today, wishing you a pleasant stay.
I totally agree with what you said in the speeches given today from the Hon. Speaker of the Egyptian parliament and all the dignitaries who spoke this morning, as well as my old brothers and colleagues at the Egyptian parliament. Some words, of what have been said, grabbed my attention.
I would say that over the past 20 days, Egypt has been present at the international forums and our brotherly Arabs were speaking about an essential matter, which is terrorism recognizes neither a homeland nor a religion. Some of them did not pay sufficient attention to listen to our words until they ascertained that terrorism is the topmost threat to the world peace and security everywhere. No single country could face it alone as it spread and it is in its most dangerous phase.
We heard and saw this in the turn of the third millennium when terrorism turned out to be a tool for political exploitation. Here, I would say that since the outset of third millennium, especially following the 11 September incidents, terrorism started to take new shape as well as schemes to divide the Middle East.
In addition, we have listened at the international forums and official visits about new plots under new slogans with a core purpose to divide the Arab and Islamic nation. Plotters sought to divide Muslims into Sunnis and Shia as well as disintegrating current states into minor ones to prevent them from playing significant role in the region. Those who plotted these schemes did not take into account that this may be difficult and detrimental in terms of fomenting terrorism and spreading it everywhere.
This result is what we are seeing now. We watched what happened in Tora Bora, and what happened in the Arab revolts, and the division-propelled uprisings in Iraq and Syria as well as what is going on in Libya and Yemen.
We watched the destructive impacts that are politically manipulated worldwide and employed, from the other side, to foment rifts among peoples and pushing terrorism on the arena under new pretenses.
Yet we saw those who take Islam as a pretext, and connect Islam with terrorism. Furthermore, they attack the Islamic religion as if it is the religion of terrorism with no knowledge of its teachings, tolerance, core principles and even how are they wronging this religion.
Religion has nothing to do with all that they said. We repeatedly said at the international forums that it is deplorable to accuse Muslims and Islam with terrorism so far, asserting that this defies commonsense, logic and religion.
Maybe there are some world leaders who took firm stand and said the truth by draw a difference between terrorism and the ones who perpetrate it, and the tolerance and core principles of Islam.
I think that we will learn a lot of things in the period to come. We saw this when the forces of evil wanted to bring about the homeland of terrorism from Tora Bora to Sinai. When many claims spread about creating a foothold for this terrorism in Sinai, the Egyptian people declared refusal. They said nay to terrorism on our lands. Then, the 30 June revolution erupted. It said no to any terrorist in Sinai and no to any terrorist in Egypt since we are a Muslim and peaceful country and know the core understanding of the teachings of Islam. There shall be no room for such plots to relocate the terrorists to our lands in Sinai as the forces of evil plotted.
Our stout army personnel stood firm to terrorism and curbed its spillovers in the narrowest possible areas in Egypt. It was a popular decision supported by the armed forces during the 30 June revolution. They managed to uproot 95 percent of its hotbeds.
We reiterate that when Egypt decided to stand up against terrorism, it did so for the benefit of the whole world, not only for its own. It protected the whole world from dangerous elements that could have crossed to Europe from this spot in a single hour.
You all know that the barrier between us and terrorism has been narrow both at sea and in the air. But we managed, with the help of God, to stand against it and besiege it. And we are near victory over the terrorists.
I agree with all what is said by my colleagues that the next period needs different actions. It requires action in which international efforts unite and a pivotal role by the United Nations for some countries not to manipulate terrorist organizations for its own interests. We saw this on many occasions where politics has been manipulated to foment terrorism. The time has come for an international legislation that protects the whole nations.
First, there should be a stand against those people, exposing and punishing them since they are the advocates of terror everywhere. I see that there should be a unified position when it comes to the use of social media platforms.
Social Media nowadays became very dangerous in terms that it could be criminal tool for inciting terrorism. On the other hand, it could be used for raising awareness of laws, regulations, and principles that should be instill into youth throughout social media network.
It’s no secret that we have faced it all. Since he came to power, Mr. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s initiative was to take care of young people. We are in Egypt a young nation and when we are talking about young people we mean that they represent the future. We indicate they are the hope and the whole world knows the truth. They should not have an opposing perspective for their homeland, nationality, and religion.
Our experience in Egypt, when Mr. President wanted to meet with young people, listened interacted with them, as also the immediate decisions were taken, all had a major impact and changed many of the negative beliefs were adhered from boredom to hope, the experience was renewed and extended from a governorate to another with every meeting when young people by the President, so the whole world knows how Egypt’s leadership is treating its youth.
Al-Azhar has a key role in the renewal of the religious discourse. Mr. President urged the Grand Imam of AL-Azhar to renew the religious discourse through raising awareness and guidance, in addition to determining the specifications of the preacher who delivers the sermon, as they should have a certain degree of education to be aware of what he says and not to distort Islam.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me refer hear to the costs of terrorism. The US invasion of Iraq had cost it more than $ one trillion dollars, while costing the region more than $ 12 trillion nevertheless the bloodshed and human casualties. This amount could have been allocated for new projects, new investments, using the new technology and science of different fields to exchange different cultures so the world becomes more productive and positive.
I believe that we should put be a new perspective regarding eradicating all roots of terrorism, which is not only poverty and lack of education as it is believed by many, but also concluded a political, economic, and cultural aspects.
If we considered the economy as part of the problem, we should create and implement new projects for youth so as to make use of their energy, which could add much value in all fields, and to say to the world that the world is a small village sharing new and productive ideas in the coming period.
I think that we should have a new economic plan and a new cultural plan for exchanging cultures, as well as new economic package for future projects to elevate those projects for a global-wide level for the benefit for all. I hope to have a new perspective for a global organization, and doubtlessly we can do more.
I hope this conference to be a launch for a new conception with new messages to be delivered to the various world bodies, these massages should have a new role for a new cultural and security and new political programs and legislation that to put things under control.
The assumption that Middle East’s stability can overwhelm without a solution for the Palestinian crisis is wrong, and whoever claims otherwise, I am telling him, your calculations are wrong.
The Middle East will still be stirring in flames as long as there is a problem not solved and the Palestinian people are oppressed.
This is my message uttered before you, the whole world must acknowledge Palestine as an Arab state, and Jerusalem as its capital, and I’m telling anyone who claims and wants to transfer embassies to Jerusalem, you are committing a grave mistake by risking and estimating half billion of Muslims who are proud to be Muslims.
The determination of transferring embassies to Jerusalem as an occupied territory is an abuse to history and will ignite fire of terrorism and in all the Muslim countries.
The problem is not only limited to Palestine and Israel, but it is an Arab, Islamic and historical problem that affects all Christian, Muslims and Jewish worldwide.
I urge you to respect history, respect the rights of minorities and peoples, and to have a new boost for solving the Middle East problems and to get rid of dividing-based solutions that will foment new revolutions and create terrorism in new forms that will not be able to stop. Terrorism will not differentiate its victims. We are on the verge of a new era and new global order that shapes in its utmost speed.
May Allah grant you success, May Allah`s peace, mercy and blessing be upon you.
