Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair is calling for an urgent global agreement to teach religious respect as he warns that action against extremist groups will otherwise "count for nothing".
In an essay for the BBC, the former prime minister said the underlying causes of religious conflict must be confronted through educating young people, although he made exceptions for violent organisations such as the Islamic State.
An agreement to improve interfaith relations would address the principal cause of terrorism-related activity as leaders must “uproot the thinking of the extremists, not simply disrupt their actions,” he suggested.
Mr Blair said defeated extremist groups will simply be replaced by new ones which continue to spread extreme ideologies if the root causes are not tackled.
"Unless we begin to confront the underlying causes each time we take on a group like Isis (Islamic State) another will quickly arise to take its place," he said.
Writing in the BBC, he said the rise of extremist groups such as al-Shabaab and Boko Haram are a “perversion of faith that has been growing unchecked”.
Mr Blair said: "We need at the G20, or some other appropriate forum, as soon as we can, to raise this issue as a matter of urgent global importance and work on a common charter to be accepted by all nations, and endorsed by the UN, which makes it a common obligation to ensure that throughout our education systems, we're committed to teaching the virtue of religious respect."
After making his argument for advocating interfaith understanding and tolerance, he stated that he is not opposed to single-faith schools.
The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which was established by the former Labour leader in 2008, aims to work against religious prejudice by influencing 12-17 year olds in 30 countries, including Pakistan, the US and Singapore.
Mr Blair has been criticised over sending troops into more wars than any other prime minister in history, with military intervention in Iraq twice, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan within six years.
Source:
The Independent, UK
Angered and frustrated by the unabating acts of terrorism and insurgency in northeast, Nigeria, particularly in Borno and Yobe state, over 10,000 members of Civilian JTF, hunters as well as members of the
Nigerian legion (retired soldiers) have stormed the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari Umar Ibn Garbai Al’amin El-kanemi to receive his blessings as they set to join the military to take over Sambisa forest.
This is coming barely 24 hours after the Shehu declared three days, alms giving, fasting and prayers among all religious faithful in the state so as to restore peace back to the state and the country in general.
It would be recalled that communities of Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Bama and Banki towns had in the last three weeks come under serious attacks by terrorists, leading to the killing of many civilians and the displacement of thousands others from their houses, a situation that prompted the civilian JTF to mobilize to seek Shehu’s prayers and advise so as to track down the terrorists.
Addressing the over 10,000 civilian JTF, local hunters, retired soldiers and other paramilitary men at the palace, the traditional ruler commended the effort of the civilian JTF in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, and appealed to them to always follow the directives of the military and other security agencies while discharging their duties.
He said the emergence of the Civilian JTF has assisted in dislodging the sect out of Maiduguri and its environs, and therefore called on other towns and communities to set up their own Civilian JTF/youth volunteers to fight terrorism.
“I want to thank you for this visit and the effort you are collectively and voluntarily making in order to fight Boko Haram who are bent at not only
destroying our social and economic structures, but also killing innocent lives. I want to also appeal to you that you should desist from politics, religious or ethnic considerations while discharging your duties to your fatherland. In anything you do, you must make sure that you consult all other security agencies so that you work hand-in hand to end terrorism that have been destroying us as a nation”, the Shehu pleaded.
The state Coordinator of Civilian JTF, Mallam Abba Aji Kalli in an interview with DailyPost said, they were at the Shehu’s palace to seek for his blessings and fatherly advice, as the group have vowed to go after insurgents even if they are not well armed. He said they were optimistic that with their sticks (Gora in Hausa) and other local arms, they will raid all terrorist hideouts.
Aji Kalli also said, the Civilian JTF are now more motivated with the support and assurance they received from retired military men, local hunters and
other patriotic citizens who have expressed their willingness to join the group to end the madness perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in the north east.
While expressing their dismay over President Goodluck Jonathan’s lack of support for the Civilian JTF, the group noted that, they were apolitical, non-religious and will not be deterred, but will ensure that it works with the military to end insurgency in the region.
Source:
DailyPost
Countering violent extremism has
traditionally involved tactics undertaken by outsiders aimed at preventing individuals from engaging in ideologically-fueled violence. USIP Senior Program Officer Georgia Holmer explains the increasing intersection with peacebuilding and how that can strengthen local communities to identify and address the drivers of radicalism and ultimately develop a more effective means of preventing extremist violence.
Holmer, who leads USIP’s project on Women Preventing Extremist Violence (WPEV), presented her views July 8 during the latest Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum, a monthly event conducted in Washington since 1999 to highlight innovative and constructive methods of conflict resolution. USIP is one of nine co-sponsors of the forum. Holmer’s remarks have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
I would like to start with two key assertions: First, the fields of peacebuilding and Countering Violent
Extremism (CVE) are two distinct domains, but with increasing overlap, as the field of CVE evolves and expands. Second, the practice of peacebuilding can inform CVE work in ways that makes it more effective, relevant, conscientious and enduring.
CVE is a diverse and evolving field, but I think it is helpful to start with a working definition. I offer this one: CVE refers to a realm of policy and strategy that aims to prevent individuals from becoming engaged in violent extremism and terrorism. It is non-kinetic, it is “upstream,” it is a soft tool. It is not – and this is an important point for the purposes of this discussion –an alternative to other counterterrorism approaches.
Although there are many who feel it is a more viable approach to mitigating terrorism, certainly from a policy perspective, CVE is understood as a
corollary to other interventions, as one important tool in a larger Counterterrorism (CT) toolkit, and as
part of a broader security strategy.
Although there are multiple ways to think of CVE both within the U.S. and internationally, there are identifiable streams of work and trends in the field, and there has been a clear evolution in approach.
When CVE first emerged a few years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it was foremost an effort to counter the appeal of extremist ideology. I call this: early iteration CVE 1.0.
Countering ideology had been understood to be a missing element of counterterrorism strategy, and when identified and refined as a tactic, it was quite a brilliant evolution in policy. Counter-ideology or
counter-narrative efforts aimed to muffle the call to jihad, to make the message less inspiring, less compelling, less attractive. The aim was to challenge the veracity, credibility or logic of recruitment appeals, call attention to the hypocrisy or limitations of the extremist leaders, dispel myths about them and as a result, one hoped, reduce the numbers of recruits.
Many more questions:
In the era of al-Qaida’s Inspire magazine and before Abbottabad (the Pakistani town where U.S. forces found and killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden), and focused very heavily on al-Qaida, the tactic of countering extremist ideology characterized CVE work.
But it gave rise to many more questions: what about those with a superficial attachment to the ideology but a strong need for revenge, or those who had financial incentives to participate, or those who were manipulated or shamed into participation, or whose activities were tied more to the realities of local politics or the absence of other
opportunities than to the inspiration of a set of radical beliefs?
Certainly, anyone focused on Al-Shabab in Somalia and Kenya and on Boko Haram in Nigeria knows that the extremist ideology that is used to justify the violence of these groups is only part of the explanation for why a man or woman would join.
This more complicated understanding of the drivers of violent extremism and the changing nature of the groups perceived as significant threats to security led to an expansion of work under the umbrella of CVE. The field now represents a broad spectrum of approaches. They range from development work that aims to address the structural conditions giving rise to violent extremism (such as poverty, lack of education, political marginalization) to the promotion of local community policing models to the counter-messaging and counter-narrative programs.
This growing realm reflects numerous
methodologies and actors. It is not just the U.S. government that promotes and funds CVE programs.
A number of other national governments do, as do other international organizations such as the United Nations, and regional bodies such as the European Union and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Where peacebuilding comes in
In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on promoting and empowering non-governmental actors, including civil society, in developing their own CVE capacity. The CVE realm is now populated internationally with many non-governmental, community and faith-based organizations that work to counter extremist ideology and narratives and that provide options for employment to youth at risk.
A new wave of CVE programming attempts to support and develop such skills and awareness among local media, communities, religious leaders and teachers. This reflects the reality that effective CVE programs must be conceptualized and implemented locally.
This is where the overlap with peacebuilding comes in.
Peacebuilding traditionally engages local actors and communities and has deep experience in working with civil society.
Peacebuilding also represents a broad range of methodologies that cross sectors - religion, media, economics, gender, and justice and security reform– in order to prevent violence. Peacebuilding, when done effectively, is also rooted in a nuanced
understanding of the drivers of conflict and violence.
This is not to suggest that all peacebuilding is CVE.
Peacebuilding works to prevent violence and conflict, writ large, not just extremist violence.
A program to reform curricula in a madrassa, or to promote tolerance through interfaith dialogue, or to
promote rule of law in a post-conflict environment or the role of women in constitution making, or to teach democratic principles through radio drama --all might contribute to, and are relevant to, efforts to prevent violent extremism. But they also serve
broader agendas of stabilization and reform, and should not be conflated with efforts explicitly focused on extremist violence.
What can the peacebuilding community bring to CVE?
Local solutions:
Local is the mantra of the CVE community. It is widely accepted that good CVE work must be locally derived, conceptualized and implemented to be truly effective. Peacebuilding approaches have always included an emphasis on building capacity among local stakeholders, and to this end, the
peacebuilding community houses a well-tested library of teachable skills to empower people in fragile or conflict environments to build resilience and prevent violence.
Peacebuilders know also that working within existing local mechanisms, networks, and practices ensures the sustainability, relevance and impact of any conflict.
This suggest the need for an important shift and reframing of CVE work, from something that is done to others or employed as an offensive tactic to something we can enable and support others to do for themselves. That requires an effort that has teachable skills associated with it, and a role for the implementers as facilitators rather than orchestrators. Peacebuilders can ensure local ownership of CVE.
More inclusivity: A central tenet of peacebuilding is that sustainable
peace is achievable only with the engagement and consideration of the rights and needs of both men and women. CVE policy and practice have been criticized for failing to consider the pivotal role women can play in preventing extremist violence.
Because of the significant influence of socialization and relationships in the process of radicalization, both men and women arepart of the dynamics that push and pull an individual toward and away from violent extremism. Peacebuilders appreciate the need to examine the role gender plays in both mitigating and fostering trajectories of violence, and can ensure an inclusive approach.
Engagement of civil society:
Civil society actors are critical stakeholders in peacebuilding and play a pivotal role in building good governance in conflict or post-conflict societies. They contribute to reform and transformation in powerful ways. In weak and fragile states, civil society organizations are often substitute service providers and, in this way, are significantly positioned to help prevent conflict and violence.
CVE programs that focus on building capacity in civil society can be truly effective if it’s undertaken in a way that ensures the safety of these civic
activists and ensures they’re not treated as simple tools. Civil society has a role in the prevention of extremist violence regardless of any engagement with the security sector or other state actors. In certain fragile environments, it may be dangerous or counterproductive or inappropriate to collaborate with police in identifying groups of individuals who are at risk of radicalization or who pose a security threat. Peacebuilders can help create space for CVE that isn’t necessarily laden with the risks of
association with security apparatuses.
In this way, peacebuilders are well-positioned to help advance a new approach to CVE, one rooted in a paradigm of human security. This approach actively engages and enables civil society, supports local and relevant programs rooted in a deep understanding of the drivers of violent extremism, and reaches into profound expertise in facilitating, training and promoting mechanisms to prevent violence and conflict. In this way, it offers more sustainable solutions to the problem of violent extremism.
Last year, I chaired a working group at USIP that explored the intersection of CVE and peacebuilding. One of the issues that we wrestled with was whether and how an affiliation with
counterterrorism strategy impacted our effectiveness and neutrality in the field.
The reality is that many working on CVE projects in places like Pakistan call it something else to dissociate it from the counterterrorism agenda. Our working group argued that if CVE work is approached with a peacebuilding ethos -- by supporting others to develop organic solutions, working from an inclusive human security paradigm, with sensitivity to partners’ vulnerability and safety, promoting full transparency in objectives-- then we minimize the reason or need to rebrand the effort.
A peacebuilding approach to CVE suggests a commitment to reframing CVE, not just rebranding or using peacebuilding as camouflage for externally determined interventions. A peacebuilding approach to CVE should be understood as a distinct
contribution and a potential way forward in the prevention of violent extremism.
Courtesy:
United States Institute of Peace
Security agencies are getting worried about the possible role of Sudanese universities in the radicalisation of Nigerians linked to Boko Haram.
The most recent example is that of Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, who allegedly masterminded the April 14 Nyanya bombing which claimed 75 lives.
Ogwuche studied Arabic at Sudan’s International University of Africa, which has also trained over 1,000 Nigerians in the last 10 years.
“Increasingly, many Nigerians are travelling to Sudan for education ─ some of them sponsored by northern state governments. There is a serious cause for worry,” a top security chief told TheCable.
The official said there is yet no “concrete evidence” linking radicalism with the universities “but there are high possibilities that they are serving as recruitment points for al-Qaeda agents”.
A case in point is that of “Mujahid Abu Nasir”, believed to be the pseudonym of a top commander of al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru ─ a Nigerian militant group that broke away from Boko Haram but still works closely with the Abubakar Shekau-led insurgents.
Nasir told an American newspaper last year that he also attended the university in Khartoum where he ─ like Ogwuche ─ studied Arabic.
In a very revealing interview, Nasir said he first attended an Islamic college in Kano, and then “for the zeal of seeking knowledge”, he went to Khartoum, Sudan, where “al-Qaeda propagators initiated me into the clique”.
He said the recruiters took him to the southern deserts of Algeria and then to Mauritania for a “rigorous training course” by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
AQIM has been linked to terror activities in Nigeria and Somalia.
Nasir said he trained directly under Abu Zeid, a key commander of AQIM who was eventually killed by French forces in northern Mali last year.
He said although five of them left Sudan for the AQIM training, two died in the process because of the rigour involved.
Nasir returned to Nigeria in 2008, spent some time “underground” in Lagos before launching out with the militants who say they want to impose Islamic law on Nigeria.
He also said there are thousands like him in Nigeria, some of whom he said were working in government, “some businessmen, some teachers”.
The International University of Africa was founded as the Islamic African Centre in 1977 but was upgraded to a university in 1992.
It has six faculties: Sharia, engineering, medicine, education, economics and political science, and arts.
It is owned by the government of Sudan, a country once classified by the US as a sponsor of international terrorism.
Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, was resident in the country for five years in the 1990s. He set up construction and trading companies there, and built bridges and roads all over the country.
But the attraction of Sudan is not mainly religious ─ according to a father whose son is also studying in that country.
“They have a stable education system. There are no strikes, the campuses are conducive to learning, and the fees are far cheaper than what Nigerian, European or American universities are charging,” he told TheCable. “And their standards are quite high.”
The annual tuition fee is $400 for economics and political science, and sharia; $500 for education and arts; $2500 for engineering; and $5000 for medicine.
Source:
The Cable
TERRORISTS have raided three villages and killed those they accused of being anti-Boko Haram vigilantes in Borno State, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation.
While the BBC reported that more than 30 people were killed in the early hours of Friday, other sources put the casualty figure at 34.
Residents from two of the villages that came under attack said militants had arrived in a convoy and gathered the men of the community together.
They accused them of being members of vigilante groups and killed them all, one villager from Moforo in Marte district who escaped across the border to Cameroon told the BBC Hausa Service.
They then burnt down all the shops in the market, leaving the villagers destitute, he said.
Correspondents say that most villages have formed vigilante groups to try to protect their communities from militant attacks.
A resident of Kimba village in Biu district said the villagers contacted the security forces to alert them to their attack, but were told it was not an area under military control so they could not be helped.
The military has not commented on the allegation.
A local Mallam Umar Kimba told Saturday Tribune in Maiduguri, on Friday, that everybody in the village had fled to seek refuge in Sabon Gari while others fled to Mandara, Girau and Biu. According to him, the attackers,who came on motorcycles on Thursday night started firing sporadically before setting the town ablaze.
He added that, as they were firing, they were calling on youths in the village to come out and join in the jihad against the government of infidel and corrupt politicians. “When nobody went out to meet them they started burning the houses and those who hide in their houses started coming out and running to safe heaven, but the attackers fired at the people. I left Sabon Gari this morning but we have taken the wounded to hospital in Biu before I left.”
He also said what baffled them was that, there were military formation around that area but wondered how the insurgents managed to bypass all the military and attacked the village.
“They did not touch the house of the village head and security operatives came only when they had burnt everything and chased everybody out of the village.” he said.
About 25 men were killed in Moforo, another eight men in Kimbi. It is not known if there were casualties from a raid early on Friday on Kabrihu village near the Sambisa forest.
Source:
Nigerian Tribune
CAIRO: Senior Egyptian ministers said they would pass legislation on Thursday "connected to confronting terrorism", in a statement released hours after three explosions killed two people in Cairo.
The statement from a high-level security committee including the prime minister and ministers of defence and interior, did not go into further details on the contents of the law. It said the bill would be presented to the cabinet for approval.
Egypt's government already has wide-ranging security powers and has detained thousands of supporters of former President Mohamed Mursi, ousted by the army in July. Cairo declared Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in December.
Source:
Daily Star Lebanon
Nigeria's national security adviser has unveiled
plans for a new non-military strategy to combat
a four-and-half year old Islamist insurgency that
has killed thousands of people. The strategy
would complement, not replace, military efforts
to fight radical sect Boko Haram.
About 10 months ago Nigeria launched its
biggest military push ever against Boko Haram
insurgents, imposing emergency rule on three
northeastern states. Many urban centers were
quickly secured, but the violence continued in the countryside. More recently, northern cities have again come under attack. Human Rights Watch says 700 people have been killed this year alone.
Amid the growing violence, Nigeria’s National
Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki says the
government will take a “soft approach” to
counter terrorism, in addition to military efforts.
“My approach has been to understand the
problem in order to apply the appropriate
solutions. What we have learned is that there is
not one particular path that leads to terrorism.
Rather, there are many, often complicated, paths
that lead to terrorism.”
Poverty, social injustice, isolation and
sectarianism are among the causes of
insurgency, he says. And prison reform,
economic development, peace talks and
educating the public are among the solutions.
Under the plan, two prisons will become “de-
radicalization” facilities. The next step, Dasuki
says, is to train the staff.
“The initiative will require substantial capacity
building of prison staff in areas such as
psychology, sport and art therapy, faith-based
instructors and vocational training experts that
would engage beneficiaries.”
Another key tenet of the “soft approach” to
counter terrorism, he says, is economic reform in northeastern Nigeria, where most people live in abject poverty, fueling the insurgency.
But the insurgency also makes the region poor,
adds Gbenro Olajuyigbe, a human security
manager at anti-poverty organization ActionAid.
The soft approach, he adds, needs to follow
better security on the ground.
“If people are in insecure environment --
economics has collapsed, rights have collapsed,
there is an intrusion of fear -- I think the best
thing to do is to stabilize the country first.”
The United Nations calls the Boko Haram
insurgency “increasingly monstrous,” saying
nearly half a million people have fled their homes, and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries.
Source:
m.voanews.com/a/nigeria-launches-soft-approach-to-counter-boko-haram-/1873626.html
