The conference on terrorism and extremism at Madina's Islamic University concluded Wednesday with over 20 recommendations to counter threats through the family, the mosque, the media, education, governments and international organizations. The gathering also addressed Muslim communities in the Islamic world and elsewhere. The four-day event, which looked at 83 research papers, also closed with a call on extremist groups to “heed piety” and “think carefully of what Islam and Muslims have suffered from the disasters they have caused”, and cited the need for a “unified international definition of terrorism to protect against abuse of the term for the interest of any particular state”. Titled “Terrorism: between Extremism of Thought and Thoughts of Extremism”, the conference recommended that the Muslim family should bring up its children on a “culture of dialogue and acceptance of others”, and guard them against “bad company” and “protect them from suspect satellite television channels and immoral Internet sites”. Families were also asked to warn their children of “the danger of irresponsible social criticism in front of youth”. Mosques were asked to enlighten the public on the dangers of terrorism, to employ sermons “in keeping with the requirements and needs of the age”, and to “correct misunderstandings and deviant ideas”. The conference also proposed the creation of “advanced centers and institutes to prepare and train imams and preachers”. Islamic regions were urged to reinforce “Islamic education and upbringing” and to foster national belonging from early childhood, promoting moderation and dialogue, as well address misunderstandings concerning concepts such as “takfeer, jihad, al-walaa' wa al-baraa' (loyalty and disavowal) and the role of rulers and scholars”. Deviant thought, it was recommended, should also be tackled through school curricula, and the conference proposed that countries offer monetary prizes to teachers for the “most notable work in promoting moderation and strengthening pupils' national identity”. Recommendations for the media included calls for wealthy Muslims to start up satellite television channels in non-Arabic languages to teach and call to Islam, and for the translation of the science works of Muslim scholars into main languages for publishing in non-Muslim circles. Governments of Islamic nations were asked to apply Shariah in all areas of life, and to support human rights organizations and development programs, put an end to unemployment and reinforce the message of the mosque and the family, and to form a high commission to coordinate efforts to tackle terrorism through ideas and the media. International organizations fighting terrorism, the conference recommended, should “treat all international issues with an equal balance of fairness, avoid double standards concerning Muslims and their just causes, and halt the state terrorism practiced by Israel”. States that arm, fund or harbor terrorist groups should have the necessary measures taken against them. The conference also issued a series of general recommendations to Muslim communities in the Islamic world and elsewhere, urging them to teach their children moderation in their understanding of Islam, to respect others and abide by the law, and learn their religion from specialist scholars known for their moderation. Continued research was urged, along with conferences and other gatherings, to reveal the sources and motives of terrorism and produce effective solutions. An information database was also proposed. The conference recommended adopting the definition of terrorism issued by the Arab Interior Ministers and Council of Ministers of Justice to “prevent the term being used as cover to target Islam and portray Muslims wrongly, prevent outside interference in Islamic nations' internal affairs, and prevent humanitarian aid to Muslim organizations being held up for reasons unrelated to terrorism”. Participants also supported the proposal made by the Kingdom at the conclusion of the Riyadh conference on terrorism to set up an international center to combat terror.
