UAE- Timely campaign to save kids from Daesh brutality: paper
(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 9th June, 2016 (WAM) -- A UAE newspaper has said that terrorists often use the online platform to lure innocent victims into their ranks, besides propagating utter falsehood and radicalism.
"The best way to counter this is to use online communication and social media tools to put things in the right perspective and to amplify those many moderate voices that get drowned out by the noise of the extremists," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Thursday.
"The Sawab Centre, a joint initiative by the UAE and the United States, has been doing a commendable job by fighting dreaded Daesh''s extremist ideology online. The centre''s latest decision to launch a social media campaign to highlight the terrorist group''s victimisation of children is a step in the right direction. The word Sawab in Arabic itself signifies "doing the right thing" or being on the "right path."
"The three-day campaign will be conducted in both Arabic and English on Sawab''s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms, using the hashtag, #DaeshStealsTheirChildhood.
"Daesh suffers repeated losses on the battlefield and defections by its demoralised members. As the Sawab Centre indicates, this has prompted the group to rely increasingly on child soldiers who have been indoctrinated into Daesh''s brutal ideology.
"Daesh''s recent online propaganda has featured children carrying out horrific acts at the group''s behest, such that the spectre of child executioners and suicide bombers has now become sadly commonplace.
"The Sawab Centre''s campaign now correctly aims at exposing this callous victimisation of innocent children while highlighting that Daesh has reduced children to unthinking, disposable instruments of war.
"Sawab will also shine a spotlight on the damage that Daesh is doing to the traditional social fabric in the areas under its control by coercing many parents into allowing Daesh to indoctrinate their children. Sadly, many children are then trained as spies by Daesh and taught to turn against and share information on family, friends, and neighbours.
"The continued acts of barbarism perpetrated by Daesh should not be allowed to intimidate the international community, but strengthen the resolve that there has to be a common effort amongst governments and institutions to counter such enemies of humanity.
"The Sawab Centre surely deserves support and praise especially because it has given voice to the millions of people around the world who oppose Daesh and ceaselessly endeavours to expose the terrorist group''s brutality and criminal nature," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
WAM/Esraa