south-asian-militant-groups-and-global-jihad-in-2015

NEW AG EN T S OF GLOB AL JIHAD
Deny sectarian preachers unchallenged platforms in mosques in
order to avoid the propagation of ideologies that incite violence.
Treat Islamist extremism as a damaging political ideology, not a
religious one. Similarly, treat jihadist violence as criminal, not
religious violence. We encourage civil society to not only condemn
acts of terror, but also to reject ideology that legitimizes terrorism
as ‘jihad’.
Deny extremists a platform in the media, in the form of column
spaces or interview slots.
Set up deradicalisation and mental health rehabilitation centers in
South Asia where extremist ideology can be countered, and
pluralistic interpretations of Islam can be promoted. Encourage
uniting people with differing religious preferences on the basis of
a common opposition to Islamist extremism. Educate about the
differences between the faith of Islam and the political nature of
Islamism, emphasising that rejecting an Islamist agenda does not
mean rejecting Islam.
Focus attention on university campuses as well as institutions of
Islamic learning, called madrassahs, in all three countries where
ideological drivers of Islamist extremism are likely to be active.
Empower educated youth and civil society actors to foster social
movements that challenge Islamist extremism through the
promotion of pluralistic values.
Direct international assistance to strengthen the capacity building
of civilian institutions.
South Asia cannot be analysed as a monolithic whole for the presentation of
policy and programmatic interventions. However, countries and groups with
shared roots benefit from allying on different issues if such approaches are
kept multi-pronged. For example, recent efforts to strategize the use of
shared resources such as water development plans in Pakistan and India 3
require a physical and psychological paradigm shift to end hostilities, and a
change in the way in which resource sharing, trust, cooperation, and social
and economic development is managed. In order to reduce the long-term
financial and opportunity costs of persistent non-cooperation, we advocate
synergies and cooperation between countries wherever possible.
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