Zahid: We must defeat and destroy Daesh

DPM tells US seminar of the need to starve terrorists of funds and arms, stop spread of Daesh ideology.

WASHINGTON: In curbing terrorism, there is a need to deny terrorists from getting funds and financial assistance from any parties, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said at a seminar here.

He said the terrorists should also be prevented from handling explosives, bomb making and firearms, and from having access to Improvised Explosive Device (IED), and any nuclear related component, he said.

Zahid spoke on terrorism, extremism and deradicalisation at a forum in his honour with students of American University’s School of International Service on Saturday.

He said international authorities should also look into the use of social media in disseminating Daesh ideology.

He said Malaysia and partners, including the United States, had set up a Digital Counter Messaging Centre for a counter-narrative approach to stop Daesh from disseminating its ideology, false information and recruiting new members.

“We have to break the group’s momentum, and ultimately its back. Our goal is not to deter or contain Daesh but to defeat and destroy Daesh,” he said. Daesh is the Arabic name of the Islamic State terrorist network.

In ensuring victories over terrorist leaders and networks, he said, there was a need to pursue a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy.

“One that embeds our common mission against Daesh within a broader struggle against radical jihadist that is bigger than any one group, whether it is al Qaeda or ISIS or another similar network,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said the world was facing both an immediate war against a shared enemy and a generational struggle against an ideology with deep roots that would not be easily torn out.

“The passion arises from a deep-rooted adherence and myopic loyalty to a mission that many of these militants do not fully comprehend, but yet they are blindly devoted to.

“I believe it is the passion – the overwhelming emotional reservoir in radicals and extremists – which we need to identify and address, ” he said. Ahmad Zahid said nations should not just invest and allocate huge portions of their budgets for counter-terrorism operations.

He said they must also invest in non-lethal rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes.

“Addressing terrorism and extremism will be one of the defining issues of our time. It will only be achieved if we are willing to constructively engage with one another, and to pursue peace in place of conflict,” he said. He said countering terrorism and extremism was a collective effort and Malaysia believed that international cooperation and solidarity were crucial in ensuring its success.

Ahmad Zahid, who was given a standing ovation from the university’s students, also answered questions from the floor which mainly touched on Malaysia’s moves in curbing terrorism.

– BERNAMA