NEW YORK, 4 October — Saudi Arabia has called for coordinated international action under the umbrella of the United Nations to combat terrorism and emphasized that any anti-terror campaign must not affect the sovereignty of states or imperil the lives of innocent people.
“Only through a coordinated plan in the context of the United Nations could our common efforts bear fruit,” Ambassador Fawzi A. Shubokshi, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN, told the General Assembly.
Shubokshi reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of the state terrorism practiced by Israel against Palestinian civilians. He also referred to a UN resolution that calls upon all member states to work, individually and collectively, with UN bodies toward the gradual elimination of the causes of international terrorism.
“There is no doubt that the states who suffer from terrorist attacks have the right to pursue the wrongdoers, to arrest them and to put them on trial. But the objective should be to eradicate terrorism, not revenge. The history of terrorism shows us that the best way to suppress it is to identify its root causes, which engender it and find just solutions to the different conflicts,” he said.
“Terrorism was not born on Sept. 11, 2001. It will not be eradicated by military means or by being treated as a law and order problem. Advanced weapons and new techniques are not a sufficient response either. The international community is required to deal with terrorism in a spirit of responsibility and seriousness, from all perspectives,” the ambassador said.
“The mere use of force could lead to the arrest of a few suspects while inflicting mass pain and suffering on innocents. International cooperation in facing down terrorism requires an agreed definition of the phenomenon in legal terms in order to avoid different working groups who have different motivations. No faith or creed can be tarnished under the pretext of defending the freedom of speech,” he said.
Shubokshi also cautioned against politicizing the issue of human rights. “Attempts to impose values on other nations which might contradict its beliefs and principles should cease. No double standards should prevail in dealing with international problems,” he explained.
He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s condemnation of all forms of terrorism and its solidarity with the international community in its confrontation of terrorism.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its king, government and people have condemned the terrorist acts against the United States,” he added.
“The condemnation of these criminal acts was not limited to the official authorities, but included all segments of Saudi society,” he pointed out.
The Kingdom’s grand mufti, as well as the chairman of the Council of Senior Islamic scholars said Islamic Law, do not condone such terror attacks. The chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council affirmed that the inhuman act was beyond rational comprehension.
“While my country denounces this inhuman terrorist act, it emphasizes the need to avoid linking them with any particular religion or ethnic group, whether by government bodies or the media. This will not help in combating terrorism.”
Shubokshi denounced the attempts by some news media and politicians to arbitrarily accuse Islam and Muslims.
“There is an attempt to link Islam with some negative phenomena, such as terrorism and fanaticism — all the while forgetting that Islam rejects terrorism and fanaticism and promotes tolerance and cooperation.”
He said Saudi Arabia has been a victim of terrorism and has taken appropriate measures to combat it.
“Combating terrorism has became a principal subject on the college curriculum. Saudi Arabia was one of the first signatories of the Arab anti-terror accord, which was adopted by the Arab League in 1998. It also signed the anti-terrorism convention of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,” he said.
On the international level, he said the Kingdom had adhered to numerous UN conventions related to terrorism. “It is about to join the international convention on terrorist attacks, and the convention for the suppression of the financing of terrorism.”
Ambassador Shubokshi said it was high time an international conference on terrorism was held.
“We believe that the need is urgent, and that the time has come to convene such a conference. It should have as one of its main objectives a clear definition of terrorism, which differentiates between terrorism as a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the security and stability of the international community and the right of people to resist occupation,” he added.
He condemned the move by some in the media to link Islam with terrorism and violence by talking about Islamic terrorism, Islamic threats and Islamic bombs. “It is as if terrorism is committed only by Muslims. We have not heard that bombs have religions, and terrorism has religious sects. Nobody would repeat such hearsay unless he were malicious, or ignorant of history. Arabs and Muslims cannot be accused of terrorism because a person or a group from among them committed terrorist acts.”
Islam was aware of this danger fourteen centuries ago and established the first complete law against terrorism. The Supreme Judicial Council in Saudi Arabia has imposed capital punishment on those who commit the crimes of terrorism and sabotage.
