seminars 

Sectarian Extremism in the Middle East

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Sectarian Extremism in the Middle East Right of Knowledge and Freedom of Believe

Sectarian conflict is necessarily irrational, emotional and Barbarian by Excellency.

How can we stop this mid-evil abolitionist and ossified project? Can the defenders of a (civil State and equal citizenship) face this satanic project?

What is the role of regional parties and international forces? What is the role of the media and sectarian pumping media? What about corruption and Authoritarian Regimes? Where is the real place for marginalized youth in the region in these conflicts? Can the sectarian extremism be faced without a real political and religious reforms, cultural aufklärung and serious confrontation with the extremism’s causes?

The Scandinavian Institute for Human Rights has invited a group of academics researchers, clergies and civil society activists to discuss this topic in a special seminar held on 5th and 6th of September 2015, where the following Ladies and Gentlemen have participated:

Mr. Faik Balut ( a journalist and a writer from Turkey), Mr. Issa Hanna ( A specialist in oriental languages), Mr. Abgar Malloul and Dr. Husam Marsheh (Civil Democratic Movement) Mr. Michel Nseir (World Council of Churches), Mr. Mohammad Salem Alkaabi (UAE Association for Human Rights), Mr. Battar Alshara’a (Activist, Civil society), Mr. René Naba (chief editor of Madanya Magazine), Mr. Nebras Dalloul (Journalist, Activist), Dr. Antoin Laham (United Nation), Mr. Sihanok Dibo (Writer, Activist), Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mr. Frej Fanniche (The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), Mrs. Sundus Omar Ali Albayraqdar (Iraq’s ambassador in Norway), Mr. Ivan M. Nielsen (Danish Ambassador), and from the Russian Embassy in Geneva Mr. Max Efimov, Andrey Vlasov and Maria Khodynskaya. Suhail El eid Ahdab, Hassan Fraj,Amal Almesafri,Tareq Al Shamsi, Lujaina Toumeh, Dr Khaled Almahamid, Hamad Al Balooshi, Wedad Bin Humaid…

The number of participants reached 40 participants and the participation was from several countries (USA, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Russian Federations, Syria, UAE, Egypt, Iraq).

The first day of the seminar covered the following topics:

  1. Basic Fundaments of sectarian interpretation of history, reality and life.
  2. Religious totalitarianism and question of difference.
  3. National issue and the sectarian conflict: Turkey as an example.

The Second day covered the followings:

  1. The Historical Knowledge between the marginalization and denial: The Saifo as an example.
  2. Populist and sectarian conflict and the need for the criminalization of political sectarianism.
  3. Political sectarianism between internal and external reading
  4. Criminalization of sectarianism
  5. For a knowledgeable strategy for countering religious extremism: Group conclusions

Attendees had participated in debates after each lecture and enriched the sessions with strict views and positions, rejecting extremism and sectarianism, and stressed on the need of a serious project to address the causes of this phenomenon and its consequences.

The last section of the seminar dealt with the need to develop a strategy to counter sectarian extremism. All attendees participated in developing a set of conclusions summed up the need to:

  1. Considering international instruments and covenants a reference in working against hatred, extremism, racism and sectarianism.
  2. The need to replace the words “minorities, communities” by components.
  3. Activating the role of civil society in these areas. By standing in the face of these conflicts, increasing awareness through various projects for the development of the citizens’ ways of thinking and by strengthening the national identity based in citizenship.
  4. Protecting the principals of human rights by supra constitutional convention to prevent the violation of rights by reaction-voting, awareness and education.
  5. Individual civil reconstruction based in dignity, equality and justice, recognising and admitting a new lecture of the history.
  6. The Constitution that protects the rights of all citizens, and achieve justice and equality.
  7. Forming lobbies to fight against extremism, racism, violence and sectarian.
  8. The necessity of the reform of religious discourse.
  9. Work on a document of National freedoms with a goal of individual freedom.
  10. Documenting and monitoring to prevent lying and incitement.
  11. The achievement of an international definition for the phenomena.
  12. Changing the educational curriculum that causes division, discrimination and discord, and developing curricula in the field of human rights.
  13. Activation of control over the performance of the government to ensure the enforcement of the law, and pass a law to protect victims of sectarian extremism and violence.
  14. Developing a curricula to reinforce the youth knowledge’s and practice of civil rights and citizenship.

Geneva 5-6 September 2015