Editorial: Unity, education key to defeat terrorism

The terrorists who claim to be acting in the name of Islam are doing far more than bringing death and destruction to innocent communities: They are tarnishing Islam; they have hijacked the faith.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman did not mince words when he spoke to the Muslim World League’s counterterrorism conference this week.
He described the terrorists as “tainting and vilifying the image of Islam in the eyes of non-Muslims all around the world.”
One does not have to look far to see the justice in his words. The outpourings of Islamophobia in the US and Europe are deeply disturbing. In one respect terrorist attacks such as those in Paris and Copenhagen have lifted the rock and revealed bigots who were always there. These people affirm their own pathetic identity by hating others. For years, the objects of their despising were Jews or black people. The quiet, industrious Muslims in their communities were, until perhaps 10 years ago, were generally spared their spite and hate.
But the awful crimes committed in Iraq and Syria, in Nigeria and East Africa, in Algeria and now in Libya have opened a new field for poisonous bigotry.
Nevertheless, as King Salman’s words indicate, the impact of enormities that the terrorists claim to be committing in the name of Islam, are doing more than inflaming mere racists. Ordinary, decent but ill-informed people in the non-Muslim world, are also now worrying about the Muslims around them.
The media are stoking these concerns. Few newspapers and broadcasters are doing this deliberately. But the terrorists crimes are wicked. They are staged with a eye to worldwide coverage. And they achieve this. It has always been a unfortunate truth of newspapers that their content is dominated by bad news. This, of course, tends to distort the world, making it seem full of evil and wickedness, when it most assuredly is not.
The reality of Islam and its message of moderation and forgiveness is being lost in this media storm of bad news.
The king made a crucial point at the conference. Saudi Arabia’s war against terror is far more than a military one. It is also battling for the heats and minds of terrorists. In the last decade, the Kingdom has pioneered a highly successful program to convince the captured militants of their mistakes. They have been given the opportunity and in some cases the means to leave prison and become useful members of society.
This is the merciful and far-sighted aspect of the Kingdom’s answer to terrorism. It is an approach which should be copied more widely. However, such mercy should in no way be taken as a sign of weakness.
As King Salman made it clear, the Kingdom believes that the fight against terrorism should leave no stone unturned. It will continue to stand in the frontline in the fight against this scourge. The Saudi Arabia’s security forces have confronted terrorists and shown them neither mercy nor leniency. Some have died carrying of their duties.
Moreover the Kingdom’s armed forces are playing an important role in the international drive to confront the terrorist threat. The Saudi Air Force is active in the air campaign in Iraq and Syria. This engagement is a reflection of a firm belief that a fully coordinated strategic response is essential.
However it is also clear that there is another front on which the Kingdom and the rest of the Muslim world should be fighting. This campaign involves education on two levels. The first must focus on the 1.2 billion Muslims around the world. Governments and community leaders need to be supported in initiatives to counter the propaganda of the terrorists.
Young Muslims must be warned against the siren call of those who have hijacked Islam for their own perverted purposes. The terrorists must be starved of the flow of willing young dupes to fill their ranks.
Besides, the educational campaign is no less important. This involves a carefully-structured program to protect and enhance the reputation of Islam. It must underpin the constructive role of Muslims who live in non-Muslim societies. It must lance the boil of fear and prejudice that causes normally reasonable people to harbor a negative view about the Muslim.
The key message is that this is a battle in which all decent people, regardless of their background, get involved. The world should not divide itself through suspicion and fear. Everyone should understand the threat and unite to confront and destroy the terrorist menace.