Terrorism is ‘greatest collective threat of our time’ — King

Amman — His Majesty King Abdullah described violent extremism as “possibly the greatest collective threat of our time” and celebrated the achievements of a “coalition of the determined” in combating Daesh during a speech at the UN Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism in New York on Tuesday. 

He thanked US President Obama, who also attended the summit, for his commitment to this cause and highlighted the coalition’s success in cutting off Daesh’s financial resources.

However, overcoming violent extremism across the world would require “a more holistic approach”, including coordination between affected countries and a push towards a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the King stressed. 

He added that efforts towards “winning hearts and minds” relied on broader improvements in governance, poverty rates, youth engagement, job creation and education.

Identifying extremist groups such as Daesh, Al Shabab, and Boko Haram as “franchises of the same threat”, he said that Jordan is reaching out to African states to build a partnership against these enemies.

His Majesty concluded by reminding the summit of the challenges posed by the “outpouring of refugees”, echoing his appeals at other UN events this week for international support for Jordan, in light of its role as a host to large numbers of displaced Syrians.

Following is the full text of His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech:

In the name of God, most Compassionate, most Merciful,

Thank you, President Obama, for your continued leadership and commitment on this issue, which is possibly the greatest collective threat of our time.

Last year, I spoke here of the need for a “coalition of the determined”, and indeed this has transpired.

Our collective resolve resulted in degrading Daesh assets and capabilities over the past year. Importantly, we have succeeded in interrupting Daesh’s access to some of its vital financial resources.

As a result of our efforts, Daesh’s momentum has been weakened.

Our coalition still faces significant challenges, and Mr President as you said yesterday: “If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences.”

We all know the road ahead is long, but we can navigate it by continuing to work collectively, constantly adapting our strategy and upgrading coordination among coalition members.

While this coalition is focused on fighting Daesh in Syria and Iraq, a more holistic approach requires a wider perspective and plan to eradicate the threat as well as an inclusive political solution to these conflicts.

We must tackle the flow of foreign fighters and Daesh’s supply chain across borders more effectively.

Empowering local communities in the fight against Daesh and conducting the war in a way that alleviates their suffering is vital.

As I said last year, this is first and foremost our struggle. Muslim nations have to lead this fight to protect and show the true nature of our religion.

Again, as you pointed out Mr President, while the battles may be fought on the ground — and by the population that is most affected — this war can only be won on the ideological plane.

Another challenge we still need to address more effectively is the battleground in cyberspace. We know Daesh is replenishing its ranks by targeting and luring potential members worldwide through social media, and it is still able to fund new recruits’ travel to Syria and Iraq.

Daesh, Al Shabab, Boko Haram and various terrorist groups that we are looking at are offshoots and franchises of the same threat and are in Sinai, Libya, Yemen, Mali, and now in Afghanistan, and elsewhere in Africa and Asia. None of us are safe until we have a path forward that addresses this interconnected reality.

This is not a single country’s problem, it is not a local or regional problem; it is our collective problem.

On this front, Jordan has begun a collaborative effort to reach out as a Muslim and Arab state to countries in Africa, to help, coordinate and support with stakeholders and build a partnership to address our interlinked threats.

We are certain that there is no alternative to a comprehensive approach and close coordination amongst all stakeholders that consider the threat of various terrorist groups across the wider region. We hope this will align various programmes, counter terrorism and security assistance efforts under a unified strategy.

Finally, we cannot tackle this threat in a vacuum. A world that allows the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to move further away from a two-state solution is a world that fuels extremists’ recruitment. The world should not be silent to violations of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as this will only empower those who seek to wage a religious war.

Winning hearts and minds remains a big challenge, as this will also require, in the longer and medium terms, dealing with governance, poverty, youth, job creation and education.

It is only by stabilising the entire region, giving people hope instead of fear and destruction that we will truly address these and other challenges, including the outpouring of refugees, many of whom are fleeing from terror and seeking a decent life far from their homes.

Thank you.