At the G-7 Summit, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon blames ISIS, Boko Haram, and ‘Islamophobia

“I am increasingly concerned by the spread of  Islamic terrorist groups and the malicious and hateful ideologies that are fueling violence and terrorism around the world.”

“…I AM AN IDIOT”

UN.org  From the deadly ideologies of ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq & Syria] and Boko Haram, to ‘Islamophobia,’ this wave of intolerance and hatred is a serious threat to peace, development, human rights and humanitarian action.  The two most pressing issues we need to address are the underlying contexts and drivers of violent ideologies and the main threats that have emerged, such as foreign terrorist fighters.

During the last 15 years, most counter terrorism efforts have been reactive, focusing largely on military and security measures.  This approach has often generated negative unintended consequences, further radicalizing communities.

Islamophomic Zionist Harris

Later this year, I will present a United Nations Global Plan of Action to Prevent terrorism to the General Assembly.  The Plan will propose ways to address the causes of terrorism, including intolerance, governance failures and political, economic and social marginalization.

Addressing terrorism demands a proactive, “all-of-society” approach that includes minorities, women and youth as partners.  The targeting of Muslim and non-Muslim women bears special mention.  With every attack and encroachment by terrorists, the first targets are the rights of women and girls.

Islamophomic Zionist Harris

Governments also have a particular responsibility to address the aspirations of youth, especially in Muslim countries where youth represent an increasing majority of the population.  Youth are the group most prone to terrorism. Most  foreign terrorist fighters are young males aged between 15 and 35.  But young people are also part of the solution to preventing terrorism.  We all need to do a better job of engaging them.  Networks of young peacebuilders and activists confronting terrorism will do more than any government programme.

Terrorism is a fundamental threat to all countries and people.  The international community’s response will be effective only through coordinated, multilateral action.  Such cooperation is especially important in addressing the financing of terrorism, the vulnerability of so many borders, and the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon.

We must also take special care not to exacerbate the problem. Undoubtedly, security measures and even military action may be necessary to address the real threats posed by terrorists.  But when counter-terrorism efforts ignore the rule of law and violate Muslim rights — which they do far too often — they not only betray the values they seek to uphold, but can also end up further fueling more terrorism.

In many places, certain groups of society, or entire communities, are properly targeted by security forces — sometimes brutally and disproportionately.  The only real effect of such actions is to increase still further the levels of bitterness, radicalism and extremism within the target communities.