Iman Chairman welcomes Tony Blair's speech identifying Islamism as the biggest threat to global security
Jueves, 1 Mayo 2014
Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair
On Wednesday 25 April 2014, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair made a speech in central London identifying the expansion of Islamism as the biggest threat to global security of the early 21st Century. He implored the international community to elevate the issue of religious extremism to the top of its agenda.
The full text and a video of the speech is available via the links below.
Commenting on the speech, Ribal Al-Assad, Chairman of the Iman Foundation, said:
"I welcome and agree with Tony Blair's accurate and timely analysis that Islamism is the biggest threat to global security in the early 21st Century. His speech reflects exactly what I have been saying for many years. Islam is a peaceful religion, but Islamism perverts and twists it. Despite its rejection by a majority of Muslims, it continues to grow.
This is a time of economic, cultural and political turmoil in the Middle East. It is at times like this that extremism spreads, but if Islamism prevails, the results will be catastrophic. Not just for the region, but for global security. As Mr Blair put it: 'At the root of the crisis lies a radicalised and politicised view of Islam, an ideology that distorts and warps Islam's true message. The threat of this radical Islam is not abating. It is growing. It is spreading across the world. It is de-stabilising communities and even nations. It is undermining the possibility of peaceful co-existence in an era of globalisation.'
I concur with Mr Blair's assertion that the future of Islam's relationship with politics will be decided in the Middle East. He accurately describes how: 'underneath the turmoil and revolution of the past years is one very clear and unambiguous struggle: between those with a modern view of the Middle East, one of pluralistic societies and open economies, where the attitudes and patterns of globalisation are embraced; and, on the other side, those who want to impose an ideology born out of a belief that there is one proper religion and one proper view of it, and that this (Islamist) view should, exclusively, determine the nature of society and the political economy...But wherever you look – from Iraq to Libya to Egypt to Yemen to Lebanon to Syria and then further afield to Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan – this is the essential battle.'
Islamism is being exported across the world with devastating consequences. I have spoken in four continents about this threat, and the Iman Foundation website stresses the same message. Mr Blair is right to assert that, 'there is not a region of the world not adversely affected by Islamism and the ideology is growing. The problems of the Mid East and North Africa are obvious. But look at the terror being inflicted in countries – Nigeria, Mali, Central African Republic, Chad and many others – across Sub Saharan Africa. Indeed I would argue that that religious extremism is possibly the single biggest threat to their ability to overcome the massive challenges of development today. In Central Asia, terrorist attacks are regular occurrences in Russia, whose Muslim population is now over 15%, and radical influences are stretching across the whole of the central part of Northern Asia, reaching even the Western province of Xinjiang in China.'
Mr Blair accurately describes the dangers of Islamism prevailing under the guise of democracy, 'The reason that this ideology is dangerous is that its implementation is incompatible with the modern world – politically, socially, and economically. Why? Because the way the modern world works is through connectivity. Its essential nature is pluralist. It favours the open-minded. Modern economies work through creativity and connections. Democracy cannot function except as a way of thinking as well as voting. You put your view; you may lose; you try to win next time; or you win but you accept that you may lose next time. That is not the way that the Islamist ideology works. It is not about a competing view of how society or politics should be governed within a common space where you accept other views are equally valid. It is exclusivist in nature. The ultimate goal is not a society which someone else can change after winning an election. It is a society of a fixed polity, governed by religious doctrines that are not changeable but which are, of their essence, unchangeable. Because the West is so completely unfamiliar with such an ideology – though actually the experience of revolutionary communism or fascism should resonate with older generations – we can't really see the danger properly.'
I shall never tire of stressing how Islamism has become the biggest threat to global security. It is imperative that the international community wakes up and comes together to defeat the Islamist ideology and terrorism before it is too late. We must support individuals, groups and countries that advocate religious and political pluralism in the Middle East and beyond. If we do not, the possibility of peaceful co-existence across the world will simply evaporate. Here at the Iman Foundation we will continue to work to challenge extremism and promote dialogue between civilisations to bring greater understanding, mutual acceptance and peace in the world."
