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Mr. President,
I would like to commend you for convening today's debate focusing on ways and means to counter the malevolent propaganda and twisted narratives of terrorists.
Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered by Kuwait, on behalf of the OIC countries.
Mr. President,
Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people. But we know from history that even the most abominable of mass murderers crafted twisted webs of narratives to justify their heinous acts. Terrorists do the same.
Terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, culture or region. The ideologies and narratives of different terrorist groups emanate from diverse sources. But three characteristics seem common to all:
One, they seek to recruit followers by stoking people's sense of fear and deprivation and by manipulating prevailing perceptions of victimization and injustice that fuels extremism,
Two, they create a web of complex and false interpretations of beliefs, disseminating them as widely and as often as possible; and
Three, their narrative seeks to provide a path to an illusionary salvation.
Mr. President,
If we are to defeat terrorism, it is imperative that we counter this schematic approach of terrorists at every step, comprehensively. There is no point emptying a tank through one tap, while it is being constantly replenished by others.
Mr. President,
Terrorists seek to exploit fears and grievances, real or perceived emanating from diverse factors, local or external. While individual Member States should do all they can to address socio-economic conditions and politico-religious factors at the national level, we must also address the international drivers that contribute to injustice, inequality, hatred and deprivation.
Condoning of foreign interventions and occupation and denial of the right of self-determination, all in violation of agreed principles of international law, provide fertile ground for terrorist propaganda to take root. Persistence of these conditions and the failure of the international community to redress genuine grievances of the weak against the powerful are important factors that create the breeding grounds of terrorism.
If conflicts spawn terrorism and if terrorist narratives feed off conflict situations it is critical to seek an end to these conflicts to deprive terrorists of their oxygen.
Mr. President,
In the second area, we lack concerted efforts to counter the messages and rationales spewed out by terrorist groups that fuel violent acts. In the battle of ideas much ground is lost to the narrative of terrorists by, for example, the failure to prevent xenophobia, Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, by confusing hate speech with free speech or by profiling entire communities in the name of counter productive security measures. Such actions have only strengthened the divisive notions of "us" and "them". This is what the terrorists prey on. They want to make us believe that a clash of civilizations is inevitable and even necessary. We must not allow them this space.
Not only do we need to develop a more robust counter-narrative against terroristsŐ ideologies, we also need effective communication strategies demanded by our digital age. The use of social media platforms by terrorists is unprecedented in the way they engage young people, disseminate messages and mobilize recruits. This requires effective responses to such messages, efforts to counter online radicalization and measures to prevent such groups from exploiting digital space.
Mr. President,
The terrorist narrative and ideology is aimed at radicalization that leads from indoctrination to action. There are ways to counter this. First, we need to invest in efforts to create opportunities. We must offer hopeful alternatives to the narrative used by terrorists to both invoke fear and hold out the false promise of an idyllic future. Second, we need to make the young aware of the dire consequences of following the violent path prescribed by terrorist ideologies. Many examples can be found among people who have renounced terrorism. Third, we need to prevent any glorification of terrorism, intended or unintended, in the print or broadcast media.
Mr. President,
Pakistan's National Action Plan to counter terrorism contains six specific actions points that directly and indirectly aim to counter the narratives and ideologies of terrorists. We are committed to fight this battle of minds, as much as we are committed to fight the terrorists on the ground. Pakistan stands ready to share its national experience with the international community to further our common goal of defeating terrorism and eliminating violent extremism.
I thank you, Mr. President.