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Fight against extremism starts within families — sociology, religion experts

By Laila Azzeh - Jun 08,2015 - Last updated at Jun 08,2015

AMMAN — The rising radicalism in the region requires paying greater attention to the role of families in mobilising or countering such ideologies, experts agreed on Sunday. 

The character of extremists and how poverty, ignorance, violence and “extremist” textbooks influence them was the highlight of a seminar held by the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) to analyse the reasons behind radicalism and how families can serve as a safety network that immunises its members.

Representatives of academic, religious and security bodies took part in the event, which aimed at drawing up a roadmap for empowering families to fight extremism as the first building block of societies. 

With participants agreeing that families in the Arab world still have a major impact on the lives of individuals, they underlined that awareness remains the major tool through which societies can fight extremism. 

“We cannot fight extremism without looking into the way extremists have been raised and why they were prone to behave in a way that contradicts logic,” said Amer Al Hafi, a professor of comparative religious studies at Al al Bayt University. 

“On the other hand, and while I believe that blaming religion for such problems is exaggerated, there are many misunderstandings, including cultural ones, that are embedded in individuals as religious facts that cannot be touched,” Hafi said.

He gave an example of Muslims who believe that “heaven is only reserved for them”.

For Rania Jaber, a sociology professor at the University of Jordan, addressing extremism can only start by challenging cultural concepts deemed radical.      

“If we understand that extremism is a mere cultural concept that is linked to beliefs and values, then we will be able to address all the loopholes, whether institutional or social, that accompany extremists throughout their lives,” noted Jaber.

During the seminar, Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat said the ministry is still developing and revisiting its curricula to raise more open and moderate generations.

“We have received several criticisms on some of the materials taught to elementary grades and we are working to address them,” he noted, adding that 120 ad hoc committees are tasked with upgrading the curricula.

 

For his part, NCFA Secretary General Fadel Hmoud called for improving the role of the family in countering “intruding” cultural currents and entrenching the values of moderation and tolerance, which are the backbone of Islam. 

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