Qatar reiterates rejection of violence and extremism

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) New York: Qatar has renewed its firm stance rejecting violence and extremism in all its forms regardless of the analysis of their causes and means of dealing with them.

The state said “bullets and bombs” are not enough to win the war on these phenomena and that they need a deeper and more strategic long-term approach and political determination to negotiate pluralistic and comprehensive solutions to regional conflicts.

In a statement before the annual United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Focal Points Meeting on ‘Preventing and Combating Violence and Extremism’ Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilisations Vice-Chairman Dr Hassan Ibrahim Al Mohannadi stressed the panel’s keenness since its inception to adopt policies to contribute with the international community to preventing and combating violence and extremism and disseminating values of brotherhood tolerance peace and stability to serve humanity.

He also highlighted the panel’s continuing mediation efforts to resolve international and regional issues.

Al Mohannadi referred to the committee’s role in defusing conflicts and disputes between religious ethnic and sectarian groups in different countries and achieving successes.

“We in Qatar reject all forms of violence and extremism” he said quoting Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who has stressed our clear and categorical rejection of terrorism and religious extremism regardless of the analyses of their causes and means of dealing with them.

Qatar’s fight against terrorism and denial of extremism stem from their social and cultural threats to our society religion and nation he added.

Qatar has established institutions and agencies to spread the culture of coexistence and dialogue among civilisations and religions fight extremism and reject violence Dr Al Mohannadi said referring to the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue which seeks to spread the culture and acceptance of others and peaceful coexistence.

The centre founded in 2007 contributed to building bridges of cooperation and understanding between religions civilisations and cultures around the world he added.

Established in 2010 the committee set the 2014-2016 plan of Qatar for UN Alliance of Civilizations to ease tensions between nations and peoples remove causes of division and misunderstanding and build relationships among them to achieve the humanitarian goal of peaceful coexistence acceptance of others and respect for peoples and cultures he said.

Qatar also established the Hamad Bin Khalifa Civilisation Centre in Copenhagen Denmark in 2014 to serve Muslims in Europe and to be a beacon for a deeper understanding of the teachings of Islam which guarantees peaceful coexistence of all and calls for the establishment of mutual understanding among peoples and nations he added.

He said the Emir stressed that “bullets and bombs” were not enough to win the war on extremism and that understanding the root cause of terrorism was a prerequisite to tackling its prevalence.

Fighting terrorism and extremism needs a deeper and more strategic long-term approach and a strong international political determination to negotiate pluralistic and comprehensive solutions to regional conflicts along with the adoption of binding international executive mechanisms.

QNA