29 Mar 2024
Friday 24 April 2015 - 10:43
Story Code : 161861

UN envoy emphasizes youth's role in combating extremism

The Iran Project -Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo emphasized the role of the youth in combating violent extremism on Thursday.

Full text of Khoshroo's remarks addressing a meeting of UN Security Councilon 'the role of the youth in combating violent extremism' follows:

Statement by H.E. Mr. G.Khoshroo,

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the I R Iran before the UN Security Council

on the role of the youth in combating violent extremism

23 April 2015

 

in the Name of God, the Compassionate the Merciful

Mr. President,

 

I would like to begin by thanking you for convening this meeting on this very critical issue facing the world and our youth.

Today, the young people are in aparadoxical situationin relation to Islam and the West. This critical situation is rooted in two realities that are seemingly contradictory but inherently complementary.Onthe one hand, we witness the expansion of extremism and terrorism which could be observed as much insomewestern capitals as in villages insomeIslamic countries. On the other hand,Islamophobiais spreading across the West andimplantinghatred and fear in the fabric of the Western society.

Where are the youth in the midst of this conflicting and contradictory situation? Have they given rise to this situation or are they simplyitsvictims.Who are those who havecreated this situation and what interest is it to serve? What is the role of the young people in this equation. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, in a message addressed to the youth in the West, called upon them to free themselves from this imposed and destructivequandary. He added that,

?"Today, modern communication technology has blurred geographical boundaries, you?[the young] must not allow yourselves to be confined withinfabricatedmental walls."

What are these artificial mental walls? Theyhave their foundationsin destructive ideologies, which have two attributes:
1.They are tainted with ignorance, superficiality andfanaticoutlooks,
 
2.They are also violence-oriented and based on terror andtakfir, i.e., considering"others"orthose who are different as apostates.
Those centers that propagate these ideologies, falsely under the name of Islam, and spend billions of dollarsto spread themthrough satellite TVs and socialand traditionalmediaare fueling the spread ofignoranceandviolence. They specifically prey on the youth andlinkthemtotheir networks of extremism and terrorism.

Today'sworld witnesses anefariousshow of violence in the Middle East and North Africa. If those behind this show are not confronted, the danger they create can increase exponentially and leadstothe most threatening globalsecuritycrisis.

It seems that this process has given rise toislamophobiain the West. However,thefinancial, political and cultural centers of these hatemongering andtakfiriideologies are indeed allied tothe bases ofmightandmoneyin theWest. Such power centersuse global media to target Islam and try to depict it as biggest threat,andemphasize the inevitability of the bloody conflict between Islam and the West.

Neither these ideologies, nor global terrorists andnorfear-mongering mediarepresent Islam. They, all,lie at the core ofIslamophobiaand theacts that targetthe Muslims.

In the message of Iran's Supreme Leader,the youth are called upon to stay aloof from thisunjustifiedcrisis andtodistance themselves in asavvy and clear-sighted way from the ideologies based on ignorance andviolence.Islam is the religion of compassion andwisdom, and the way its Prophet liveddemonstratesthe peaceful way of life, imbued with wisdom and empathy, that it recommends to all.

Theearnestyoung people who seek truth should break mental barriers raised bybothIslamophobiaandTakfiriideologiesand set a new path in the interaction between Islam and the West. Thanks to these young people, the relation between Islam and the Westwill be based on constructive interaction, mutual respect and fairness. And this is exactly what the Islamic Republic of Iran is looking for in terms of global cooperation to combat extremism and violence.

Mr. President,

Iranians, and especially young Iranians, have been of the most immune when it comes to the propaganda and recruitment of violent extremists; which is a matter of pride to us. I would like to take this opportunity to once again reaffirm Iran's unquestionable commitment to combating violent extremism especially in the context of our fight against the most dangerous of terrorist groups in our region such as Al-Qaeda andDaeshand other similar groups that have also been the most successful in preying upon the young all over the world.

Finally, President HassanRouhaniof Iran introduced a comprehensive agenda for a World Against Violent Extremism that was adopted by the General Assembly at its 68th session. This agenda provides a path to combat violent extremism and empower young people around the world and its importance has never been more clear.

Thank you Mr. President.
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