Empowering Women and Community Against Terrorism in Basilan
On December 17, 2021, Juhra Kilam, a Muslim lecturer from Isabela, Basilan, conducted a PCVE lecture in Barangay Mangal, Sumisip, Basilan. The activity was attended by 37 Muslim women from the same barangay and focused on raising the awareness of women against supporting terrorism and underscoring the crucial role in PCVE activities.
During the said activity, the lecturer highlighted the crucial points of the PCVE like refraining from giving any help or aid to terror groups, “non-membership” from any terrorist groups should never be used as an excuse or alibi to indirectly support terrorism activities, and the important role of women in guiding their children and prevent them from joining terrorist groups. In relation to the role of women, the lecturer also emphasized women empowerment by way of identifying violent extremism and the proper way of reporting such threats to the government authorities. Aside from terrorist-related reports, the lecturer taught them the “referral pathways” as an important mechanism for reporting violence against women-related cases (VAW). In terms of community building, lectures about the importance of active participation of women in decision-making process of barangays and municipalities and the importance of “Tarbiya” or development and training of people in the PCVE efforts were taught.
Moreover, during the lecture, certain issues and concerns were raised by the participants like their refusal to continuous extortion of ASG that resulted in the bombing of their plantation cooperatives; The problems in “ayuda” and inaccessible social services of the government to Barangay Mangal that was in far-flung areas; and lack of information drive to increase information awareness of women on terrorism issues.
At the end of the program, the participants hoped for more similar activities in the future and expressed their gratitude for their new learning that could be valuable for empowering communities and women against violence.
Indonesia’s National Action Plan on PCVE
Aside from being an archipelago, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and surrounded by seas and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. It becomes difficult for the country to draw distinction between internal and external security threats. In line with this, Indonesia continued its National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (NAP-PCVE) in response to threat like terrorism. It is based on a soft-approach like prevention, law enforcement, and international partnership and cooperation to address violent extremism (VE). The NAP-PCVE of Indonesia also focuses on aligning its national legal framework into the international legal framework. In relation to this, legal overlapping, manipulation, and lack of funding sources and victims fund are identified as some of the reasons for ineffective CVE measures and in needs of plans and revisions faced by Pakistan.
Unlike the gaps addressed in the latter part, Indonesian NAP-PCVE had distinct features in addressing some problems on PCVE like assigning terrorism-related statistics to statistics agency to avoid manipulation, inclusion of women in the security sector and anchoring its approach on gendered NAP-PCVE, continued implementation of NAP-PCVE in central and local government levels, and submission of biannual reports about implementation and strategy to the joint-secretariat (JS) and the president. It also emphasized the community policing, youth engagement, important inputs for community organizations, and criminal justice model based on the law-enforcement approach in terrorism. Indonesia's transformation from government-based approach into the combination of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach can influence other countries to follow, like Pakistan's NAP-PCVE. With this information about Indonesia and Pakistan, it reflects the fact that the NAP-PCVE requires both long and short-term plans.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1669932
What do different religions say on the topic of harming or killing other people
According to a study conducted by the Center for Security Studies, religious violence has been rising from 1975 up to 2015. This shows the continuous threat of violent extremism by people committing atrocities for the sake of their religion. In line with this threat, different religious groups condemn violent extremism that justify religion as the basis of their wrongdoings. One of their bases of condemning extremists is by way of their teachings.
In Islam, the Holy Quran says, “But whoever kills a believer intentionally – his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.” (4:93) This is strengthened by another verse, “And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason." (6:151) These are very clear messages that no one has the right to kill Muslims and non-Muslims for the sake of religion.
In relation to this, Christian’s biblical perspective about killings is anchored on Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.” It is The Six Commandments in the Bible that is widely used as a biblical tool to condemn atrocities committed by Christians. Likewise, this biblical perspective is also in Judaism’s Torah or the Hebrew Bible.
In Hinduism, most Hindus believe in non-violence or “Ahimsa,” an ethical principle of not causing harm to other living things such as humans. This belief encourages Hindus to act with kindness and non-violence to all. One of the great examples of this was the peaceful and non-violent movement of Mahatma Gandhi during the British occupation in India.
Moreover, Buddhism’s teaching of The Five Precepts is a code of conduct or rules that guides people in a moral and ethical way and to achieve enlightenment. The first of the five precepts is “Refrain from taking life.” This means that it is forbidden to kill any living creature such as people and animals. Buddhism’s teaching is mainly concentrated in peace and non-violent approach.
It is clearly stated that killing or harming people, believers or non-believers, has no place in all the world’s major religions. This will reinforce the fact that violent extremism is not a good way to persuade others or kill in the name of God or religion. This will also serve as an eye opener to every believer, church leaders, religious scholars, and religious groups to strongly condemn and speak up for the atrocities committed by those people who used religions to justify their wrong actions, particularly the terrorist groups.
Debunking the Myth of the Hoor ‘Ein (virgins) in Paradise
“Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure place within gardens and springs, wearing [garments of] fine silk and brocade, facing each other. Thus, and We will marry them to hoor ‘ein with large, [beautiful] eyes.”
- Surah Al-Dukhan 44:51-54
It is a widely known belief that a shaheed or martyr in Islam is rewarded a sensual prize of 72 virgins in paradise. In the Holy Qur’an, they are referred to as Hoor ‘ein – alluring virgins of an ethereal nature inhabiting the afterlife. This belief has troubled many Muslims for ages because of its concept and authenticity. The same belief confused the non-Muslims, who were introduced to this concept through the narratives that terrorists use the promise of virgins as Allah’s reward for the mujahideen to recruit Muslims to join Jihad. This article will address important issues regarding the Hoor ‘ein – do they refer exclusively to females; are there truly 72 virgins in paradise for the shaheed or martyrs; and, is the promised reward sexual in nature.
The concept of the Hoor ‘ein was introduced in three (3) chapters of the Holy Qur’an (Al-Waq’iah; Al Dukhan; and, Al-Tur) and in a hadith (Al-Rahman) of Prophet Muhammad. In Surah Al-Waq’iah, Hoor ‘ein was likened to well-preserved pearls. Looking at the word Hoor linguistically, both the Basri and Kufi schools of thought define hoor as a non-specific, plural gender. Meanwhile, Arabic lexicons associate the word Hoor with the color white and explained that Arabs usually used the term Hoor to describe city women who were much lighter-skinned because they did not work directly under the sun. Another form of the word Hoor is Hawwar which means chalk. Chalk was used in ancient times to whiten and clean the laundry. The prominent Islamic scholar Imam Al-Bukhari mentioned that hoor means “that which puzzles the sight because of its excessive beauty”. German author Christoph Luxenburg used the word Hoor in Aramaic which means white. The common denominator for all these definitions is the color white which is a symbol of purity. Hence, Hoor ‘ein is not a gendered concept and does not exclusively refer to females.
There is no mention in the Holy Qur’an of the actual number of virgins available in paradise. The number “72”, however, was found in a hadith collected by Abu Tirmidhi, an Arab scholar and author of one of the six canonical collections of hadith. It was written: "The Prophet Muhammad was heard saying: 'The smallest reward for the people of paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah (a Damascus suburb) to Sana'a (Yemen).” This evidence does not say that there are only 72 virgins in paradise and clarifies that the reward for Hoor ‘ein is open for all Muslims and not just the shaheed.
In a footnote commentary on Surah Al-Waq’iah of Yusuf Ali, a British Islamic scholar, he mentioned that the companionship in the afterlife “takes a higher form than the bodily form suitable to the spiritual world.” Yusuf Ali captured the proper meaning in the verse as an act of joining or pairing. Furthermore, he explains in a footnote that he viewed the words describing paradise as symbolic ones. “There will be life, but free from all earthly grossness.” Hence, the joining or pairing of righteous men with virgins is not sexual in nature. Many scholars who interpreted Qur’anic verses on hoor ‘ein infused the concept with a gendered and, all too often, sexual dimension. Their interpretations tended to restrict hoor ‘ein to a worldly perspective oblivious of spiritual and other dimensions of the afterlife.
There is a common misunderstanding of the complexities of the meaning of Hoor ‘ein which are usually associated with 72 virgins. The most important thing to note is that the verses in Surat al-Waqi’ah, Surat al-Dukhan, and Surat al-Tur promise the entities hoor ‘ein to as-sabiqoun (the premier) and al-muttaqun (the righteous), which are gender inclusive terms. So, associating the concept Hoor ‘ein with female virgins contradicts the very essence of the Qur’anic context.
In summary, human interpretations are limited, especially about the afterlife. The concept of Hoor ‘ein belongs to al-ghayb or the unseen world to which we do not have access or knowledge except what is revealed in the Qur’an or the Sunnah. The Qur’an only gives us a peak of what the Hoor ‘ein would look like in Paradise. The human mind cannot even imagine the unique beauties, abilities, and capacities of such creation.
Jihad
“And fight them until there is no fitnah and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allah. And if they cease - then indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do.”
- Surah Al-Anfal 8:39
The definition, concept, and practice of Jihad has acquired a pejorative connotation in the minds of Filipinos. For a good majority of Muslims in the suburbs, Jihad is the 6th pillar of Islam and thus, an important obligation for every Muslim. For the non-Muslims, to perform Jihad is to wage a “holy war”, an act of killing the infidels which is a clear sign of terrorism. The purpose of this article is to present an accurate and simple understanding of the concept of Jihad.
Contrary the claims of extremists and Islamophobes that Jihad is “killing” or taking up arms and instigating war, the word literally means “struggle” and its doctrine is rooted in the Qur’an’s command to struggle in the path of Allah. The classical Islamic jurists described Jihad as an effort directed against any object of disapprobation using the heart, the tongue, the hands, and the sword.
How can Muslims perform Jihad? Jihad is not a single-edged instrument to be employed by violent means only. The classical Islamic jurists has identified four (4) ways by which a believer could fulfill his Jihad. The Jihad of the Heart is directed against the flesh and is accomplished by fighting temptation through purification of the soul. The Jihad of the Tongue and the Jihad of the Hands were undertaken in the fulfillment of the Qur’anic injunction to command the good and forbid the bad. These were considered as “the greater Jihad”. Lastly, the Jihad of the Sword or “the lesser Jihad” was concerned exclusively with combatting unbelievers and enemies of the faith by open warfare. The Holy Qur’an permits Muslims to fight in this lesser Jihad when five (5) strict conditions are met: self-defense; when they are being persecuted for their faith; have fled their homes and migrated to a different country to preserve peace; are targeted to be killed for their faith; and to protect universal religious freedom.
Islam is a powerful force that governs the life of Muslims from cradle to the grave. Jihad is an important part of a Muslim’s spirituality. In understanding the peaceful religion of Islam, one must bear in mind that those who give a perverted interpretation of its tenets are the real enemies because the difference between Jihad and terrorism are as far as the Earth and the sun.
References:
- Mohammad, N. (1985). The Doctrine of Jihad: An Introduction. Journal of Law and Religion, 3(2), 381-397. doi:10.2307/1051182
- Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam and What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam (Oxford University Press, 2002).
- Rashid, Q. (2017). ‘Jihad’ is not a dirty word. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/07/08/jihad-is-not-a-dirty-word/
- Knapp, Michael G. "The concept and practice of Jihad in Islam." Parameters, vol. 33, no. 1, Spring 2003, p. 82+. Accessed 18 Aug. 2020.
- Willis, J. (1967). Jihad fi Sabil Allah-Its Doctrinal Basis in Islam and Some Aspects of Its Evolution in Nineteenth-Century West Africa. The Journal of African History, 8(3), 395-415. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/179828
Radicalization in Gaming
The Rantt Media reported the power and reach of gaming has now been recognized by governments and preventing violent extremism practitioners as an important platform where radicalization could prosper.
The report said that in the UK alone, the gaming industry contributed over £5 billion to the economy in 2019. Accelerated by the pandemic, global video game revenue reached almost $180 billion in 2020, dwarfing the global film and music industries.
Beyond the games themselves, gaming-adjacent platforms are massive and influential social networks in their own right. Steam (120m estimated monthly users), XBOX Live (100m), and Discord (150m) have huge reach, while the streaming service Twitch has 30m daily users, viewing over one trillion minutes of gaming content in 2020 alone.
The report also stated that according to Ofcom’s latest media use and attitudes report, young people in Britain are now more likely to go online through a games console than a desktop computer. 86% of 12-15s play video games, for an average of almost 90 minutes each day. This time also excludes the many hours participating in gaming communities, learning tips from videos and playthroughs, or watching gaming influencers. Watching gaming content is more popular than viewing other forms of vlogger or influencer and is an activity more common for teens than streaming films or watching sports online.
Gaming is also a critical factor in young people’s social identity. Research by Pew showed that over half (54%) of teen gamers play games with friends they only know online, and a similar number (52%) play online with people they don’t know at all. 36% say they made a new friend while playing games, and 78% say it builds stronger connections with their existing friends.
As well as creating social connections, games have other proven benefits. They teach problem solving, teamwork and confidence, and some studies even show positive mental health benefits. The booming industry has created opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship; the rise in esports has given voice to a new generation of role models and influencers. Games have fast become an art form, using creative storytelling to build empathy, tell powerful stories, and push for positive social change.
The article also said, from faith to football, music to mommy-bloggers, no community has yet proven immune to infiltration by extremism. Gaming – like every other pastime and subculture that has come before it – has its dark side. There are well-documented cases of hate crime, bullying, and, as we now know, extremism. The Extremism and Gaming Research Network has highlighted how violent extremist groups have used gaming to promote their ideology, spread divisive narratives, and recruit individuals to their cause. With the much-heralded ‘metaverse’ on the horizon, the future of the internet will be even more immersive. Gaming is a forerunner, or test case, for how we tackle extremism in complex spaces with blurred on- and off-line borders.
How practitioners respond is a matter of understanding the individuals within the gaming ecosystem, and the many complex influences that are playing out upon them. One simple model breaks these influences down into categories of infrastructure, community, and culture.
The infrastructure is the ‘physical’ (or digital) environment and its content. In this case, the individuals will be influenced by games themselves, the platforms they play on, the shops or retailers they buy from, the spaces they use to meet. Community is the actors encountered within the space. Gamers will be influenced by who they are playing with or against; who they watch, read, admire or loathe. Culture is by how people behave within the space. Individuals will be influenced by the social norms of their environment: the codes and cues, in-jokes and memes; the specialist jargon and slang. Cultural influences can also include music and fashion; even food and drink – all the habits and rituals.
The report stated broken down this way, the extremism risks within the gaming ecosystem become clearer. Within the infrastructure, for example, one challenge is that these spaces are difficult to moderate. Or, if there is oversight, it has been designed with other risks in mind (copyright theft, for example). 71% of teenage boys, for example, play online with a voice connection active – something virtually impossible to moderate for bullying, hate speech, or abuse. As the pastime has scaled, platforms’ deficiencies in providing moderation or oversight have been exposed. Steam, for example, was devised as a retail platform. It has now grown to 150m million monthly users, who visit the platform to discuss games and find other people to play with. It has become a de facto social media network, but one without the in-built safety or moderation features. As a result, researchers have found it disturbingly easy to find extremist groups operating and recruiting openly on the platform.
Within every community, there are also invariably predatory actors. The same social benefits provided by gaming can also be turned against it. It is easier to connect with strangers and to befriend new people. Although a net positive, this ease of connection can also be used by unscrupulous, criminal, or extremist actors.
The report stated PewDiePie, for example, is the world’s largest YouTube influencer. With over one hundred million followers, he got his start in gaming, and that’s still the heartland for his following and his content. His ‘edgy’ humor has repeatedly crossed the line into hate speech, including paying on Fiverr to carry a ‘Death to All Jews’ sign, giving a Nazi salute, using racist language, recommending far-right channels, and even wearing far-right fashion. PewDiePie is not a violent extremist. However, he shows the power of role models to influence their community and to promote an ideology (intentionally or not). Notably, when challenged based on his behavior, his fanbase – which skews very young – only becomes more loyal, even to the point of conspiracy. The community polarizes: defending its own against outsiders.
According to the report, extremist groups have also used gaming to create a socializing space, where individuals can meet and engage on common topics, be that Call of Duty or the Great Replacement. In the past, radical right groups connected in the back room of a local pub, limited by both geography and visibility. With the digital space removing these limitations, the ability to engage new recruits and maintain existing members is vastly increased, and the shared interest in gaming provides a common bond and a platform for engagement.
Nor are all cultural influences necessarily positive – especially as they may arise organically, in an unmoderated space, or guided by malign actors. Negative norms are possible, based on exclusion, normalizing hate speech, or encouraging misogyny. A sub-culture that is out of synch with mainstream society can create friction and a sense of exclusion. It can lead to a polarized sense of ‘us vs them.’
Again as shown by PewDiePie, according to the report, humor that might be deemed acceptable within a sub-culture can bring it into conflict with the greater society, increasing that sense of difference and polarization. Similarly, the GamerGate movement, both a precursor of and model for modern digital extremist tactics, was based around constructing an exclusionary identity of what it means to be a ‘gamer,’ and whipping its members into frenzy based on a perceived threat.
One of the most successful positive cultural movements has been the Child’s Play charity, created by gaming influencers, and directed at passionate gamers. Founded on the premise that “gamers are good people,” it reinforces a collective gamer identity based on being problem solvers and generous community guardians. Child’s Play has since raised almost $45m for causes chosen by the gaming community, running from children’s hospitals to domestic violence shelters. It is, in many senses, the reverse of the equally ‘successful’ GamerGate, which built on the same concept of a marginalized identity, however, Child’s Play directs its energy towards more positive outcomes.
There’s no question that extremist actors have spotted the opportunities within the gaming environment. Countering their activity, and preventing it from spreading further, relies not only on gaining meaningful insight into gamers’ environment, but also having the ability to influence it for the better. Success in gaming, as in any other context, relies on being able to operate authentically: understanding the influences already at play, and leveraging them to create the positive impact required.
Reference: https://rantt.com/the-latest-frontier-in-radicalization-gaming
Whom should you listen to and obey?
In the published article titled “Advice to the Mujahidin: Listen and Obey”, the ISIS vaguely converses the Islamic perspective on leadership and obedience, and instead, focused on warning our fellow Muslims on following treacherous apostate rulers. However, they have failed to mention and discuss the so-called Muslim leaders who advocate for hate and violence, which are clearly and ultimately un-Islamic.
At Mustaqim, we believe in educating our fellow Muslims on importance matters such as the concept of leadership in Islam.
Leadership in Islam is considered as a part of worship that must be held with responsibility and trust. It is an important instrument that has been used to disseminate the Islamic teaching for the realization of an ideal society which is based on justice and compassion. The goal is to serve the Muslim community at large. That is, directing and guiding people to what is good in this world and the Hereafter. The main tasks of leaders are to do good deeds and to work toward the establishment of way of living ordained by Allah.
Allah said: We also made them leaders, guiding by our command, and inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. And they were devoted to Our worship[1].
Leaders must enforce and promote justice continuously as it is been instructed in Surah An-Nisa 58 “Indeed Allah commands you to deliver the trusts to their [rightful] owners, and, when you judge between people, to judge with fairness. Excellent indeed is what Allah advises you. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing.”
However, some of the so-called Muslim leaders encourage Muslims to be violent and extreme, purely for their own personal interests. They abuse the Islamic contexts relating to obedience that Allah ordained Muslims to obey the Amir whether he is good or not. The Prophet said “Hear and obey your leaders, even if an Ethiopian slave whose head is like raisin, is made you chief”.
Terrorists and violent extremists tend to neglect how the Prophet and the Khulafa Ar-Rashidun practiced leadership theories that is based on the Islamic perspective who governed countries and territories for almost 50 years. All people were protected, served, guided, represented and inspired by their leaders. They are the best examples of Islamic leadership derived from Quran and Hadith. It is important to note that they ordained commands that are always based on the Holy Quran and Hadith.
Umm Al-Husayn said that she heard the Messenger of Allah giving speech during the Farewell Hajj, in which he said: “Even if a slave was appointed over you, and He rules you with Allah’s Book, then listen to him and obey him”[2]
Blind following is not encouraged in Islam. The rule of Allah should always be the basis and not the rule of violent leaders. Killing innocent people, instilling fear in the society and suicide bombing are all prohibited and haram. Whoever ordered to do these violent activities should stop and think if he is following a right leader.
Hudhayfah reported: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not be blind followers, saying that if our people are good we will be good, and if they are unjust we will be unjust. Rather, decide for yourselves. If the people are good, be good. If they are evil, do not be unjust.”[3]
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ali said: “The Messenger of Allah sent a troop under the command of a man from Al-Ansar. When they left, he became angry with them for some reason an said o them, ‘Has not the Messenger of Allah commanded you to obey me’ They said, ‘Yes.” He said, ‘Collect some wood’ and then he started a fire with the wood, saying, ‘I command you to enter the fire.’ The people almost entered the fire, but a young man among them said, ‘You only ran away from the Fire to Allah’s Messenger. Therefore, do not rush until you go back to Allah’s Messenger, and if he commands you to enter it then enter it.’ When they went back to Allah’s Messenger, they told him what happened, and the Messenger said: “Had you entered it, you would never have departed from it. Obedience is only in righteousness.”
It is clear in this is hadith that Muslims should only obey their leaders in righteousness. Muslims should not be a blind follower, he should also need to filter all the orders he will receive whether is it Halal or Haram. We all know that killing innocent people and exploding oneself is a major sin in Islam, thus, it is Haram to obey a leader who order someone to commit major sins…
Ibn Taymiyyah said, “If a person makes a vow in obedience to Allah, he must fulfill it. If he makes a vow in disobedience to Allah, he must not fulfill it, as what is forbidden is not permissible to fulfill. But if he cannot fulfill his lawful vow, he must perform the expiation for breaking his oath, according to the majority of the predecessors.”[4]
In another narration, Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “It is a duty upon a Muslim man to listen and obey authorities, whether he likes it or not, unless they command sinful disobedience. If they command sinful disobedience, then there is no listening or obedience to them.”[5]
Several narrations support this narrative including Aisha’s report: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him. Whoever vows to disobey Allah, he must not disobey Him.”[6]
Ali reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no obedience to anyone if it is disobedience to Allah. Verily, obedience is only in good conduct.”[7]
Thus, Muslims, especially the Mujahidun must always be critical and logical all of the time when it comes to its religion. Muslims should think whether he is doing right or wrong.
“Indeed the worst living creature in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason”[8]
[1] Surah Al-Anbiya 73
[2] Recorded by Muslim
[3] Sunan al-Tirmidhi
[4] Majmu al-Fatawa 33/49
[5] Sahih al-Bukhari 7144, Sahih Muslim 1839
[6] Sahih al-Bukhari 6700
[7] Sahih al-Bukhari 6830, Sahih Muslim 1840
[8] Surah Al-Anfal 22
Retired Nigerian National Security Adviser: No gun more powerful than enlightenment and education in tackling violent extremism
The Vanguard reported that retired National Security Adviser (NSA) of Nigeria Major General Babagana Monguno has said, “There’s no gun more powerful than enlightenment and education at the grass-root level” to overcome the menace of violent extremism.
In reference to violent extremism originating from the Sahelian region in the African continent, the retired NSA said, “Particularly, the international community and its Sahelian partners should prioritize governance, press for, or pursue an expanded peace process, cautiously through dialogue, and push for the adoption of more non-kinetic measures through affected communities”.
Speaking at the 14th workshop of the league of Ulamas, Preachers and Imams of Sahel Countries holding in Abuja, NSA Mongonu said, “It is imperative that Ulamas, preachers and community leaders in your localities key in to support efforts of our security forces, in order to end this menace”.
He pointed out that, “The adoption of propaganda videos by terrorist groups to project themselves as contending powers in the region, is a mere attempt to garner support from sympathizers, as they struggle to maintain relevance.” He added, “Terrorism and the rapid escalation of violent activities by militant Islamist groups in the Sahel since 2016 have been primarily driven by the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), which mainly operates in Mali and extends to the Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.”
“It is bolstered by activities of groups such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM) and ISGS, which have continued to pose an imminent threat to the stability of the region.”
“In Nigeria, Boko-Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) dominate terrorist activities, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.”
The retired NSA also mentioned, “The situation in the Sahel has never been grimmer, extremist violence continues to spread; the number of internally displaced persons (IDPS) is growing, and food insecurity is affecting more people than ever before. There are several not entirely congruent working hypotheses underpinning foreign and regional government strategies.”
He added, “It is imperative to reassess and reset the strategy towards the Sahel, setting aside faulty assumptions. Particularly, the international community and its Sahelian partners should prioritize governance, press for or pursue an expanded peace process, cautiously through dialogue, and push for the adoption of more non-kinetic measures through affected communities.”
“Nonetheless, the possibility of Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) creating an established caliphate to rival Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) countries has been checkmated by series of concerted and reinvigorated efforts of the countries of the Region”, the retired NSA added.
He also highlighted “The adoption of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by LCBC countries to stem the conflict has yielded tremendous success.”
He also mentioned “The adoption of propaganda videos by Terrorist groups to project themselves as contending powers in the region is a mere attempt to garner support from sympathizers, as they struggle to maintain relevance. Thus, it is assessed that while the groups maintain the long term strategic goal of creating a caliphate, the efforts of LCBC countries will continue to frustrate that goal.vIn that regard, it is imperative that Ulamas, Preachers and Community Leaders in your localities key in to support efforts of our Security Forces, in order to end this menace. Just as collaborations between governments are boosting the advance of Security Forces in the fight against terrorism, alliances and group effort like LOPIS should be the backbone to rebuilding our terrorism infested communities.”
Finally, the retired NSA said, “There’s no gun more powerful than enlightenment and education at the grass-root level.”
Faith-based Groups in Islamabad vow to end Violent Extremism
The News Pakistan reported the five-day training programme on interfaith harmony from December 11 to 15 2021, was hosted by the Shaoor Foundation in the capital and Bhurban, Islamabad. Said training brought together 40 individuals, including faith and community leaders, rights activists, journalists, engineers, academics, bureaucrats and lawmakers, who are part of the Karachi Interfaith Network.
The participants were briefed with programs and strategies that they could effectively take part in the fight against violent extremism.
In the beginning of the training, the participants made a courtesy call on Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairperson Dr Qibla Ayaz at his office. The delegation discussed with the CII chief a variety of issues related to blasphemy laws, women rights, alleged forced conversions and protection of minority groups.
The training participants also visited the Shah Faisal Mosque, the Islamic International University and a Bahai community centre. During their three-day stay in Bhurban, multiple sessions were conducted on the promotion of intersect and interfaith harmony.
In his presentation on ‘Minority Rights and the Constitution of Pakistan’, former Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services executive director Zaffarullah Khan reminisced about Muslim faith leaders who would “stand for minority rights” in the past.
He, however, lamented the growing religious intolerance and called for the promotion of counter-narratives to defeat violent extremism. In another session, Dr Zubair Usmani, Shamsuddin Hassan Shigri, Allama Aqeel Anjum, Zahra Shalwani, Sheikh Yousuf Nisar, Syed Ali Karrqr Naqvi, Allama Ehsan Siddiqui and other faith leaders discussed ways to counter extremism and promote interfaith harmony.
In their concluding remarks, International Research Council for Religious Affairs President Israr Madni and Shaoor Foundation Executive Director Syed Ali Hameed urged the participants to take the training as an opportunity to consolidate their efforts and creatively implement local solutions for peacebuilding.
The training culminated with a visit to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) headquarters in Islamabad on December 15, 2021.
USAID launches a new project to combat violent extremism in Mauritania
The United States Embassy reported that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a new project to combat violent extremism in Mauritania. The project, dubbed as “Tamkeen” which means empowerment in Arabic, will be implemented over five years (2021-2026) with a budget of $7 million and will target youth and women at risk of being recruited and targeted by violent extremist groups in Mauritania, specifically in eight regions: Adrar, Hodh el Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Guidimakha, Assaba, Trarza, Tiris Zemour, and the capital, Nouakchott.
Tamkeen will be implemented by USAID’s partner, FHI 360, and under the guidance of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Tamkeen will encourage social and civic change by placing young Mauritanians at the forefront of promoting pro-social alternatives to violent extremism by pursuing three objectives: 1) to build networks of youth and community groups; 2) to create safe spaces for youth to interact and learn leadership skills; and 3) to combat the isolating effects and vulnerability to risk created by disinformation which was particularly heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic and can make young people more vulnerable to violent extremism.
The Tamkeen project aims to make a positive impact on Mauritanian youth by giving them leadership and life skills to support themselves independently. Tamkeen will boost young Mauritanian’s self-confidence and encourage them to get involved in decision-making processes in communities, with local government, and in their homes. Among its various targets, Tamkeen will work with 100 youth leaders in eight regions to create 13 youth community centers, reaching thousands of youth throughout Mauritania.
Lisa Washington-Sow, Country Program Manager for USAID Mauritania, states: “We hope that USAID’s Tamkeen project will have positive impacts on the youth of Mauritania by using approaches to build social cohesion through youth leaders, while working with government as well as local and international organizations that are supporting Mauritanian civil society.”
Source: https://mr.usembassy.gov/new-7-million-investment-in-youth-to-combat-violent-extremism/