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“Scholars from across the region and the world came together and talked contemporary challenges including women’s issues and terrorism, in western Herat province”
AT-KABUL: The former National Security Advisor, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, said that no terrorist group can stay active without having a geographical and logistical backup. He added that the term ‘non-state terrorist actor’ is but a funny concept.
Talking to Herat Security Dialogue IV Conference, Spanta said that Islamic territories during their heydays could boast of prominent scholars, who played a vital role in advancement of human knowledge and culture. He added that Khorasan’s scholars were pioneers of advancing human intellect and taking knowledge to a new horizon. Herat was the capital city of Khorasan therefore it could be called the citadel of knowledge. “While Europe was the symbol of darkness ignorance and ruthlessness in the Middle Ages, Muslim territories were the birthplace of scientific creativity and innovation,” he added
Citing a BBC report, Spanta said that most of the 10 thousand recorded terrorist attacks in 2013 were in sharp contrast with the teachings of Islam. “One of the Islamic countries close to Afghanistan is still the biggest hideout and supporter of terrorists,” he added.
He said that behind most of the terrorist attacks of the world were ISIS, Taliban and Buko Haram. “80 percent of the terrorist attacks in 2013 took place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria,” he added.
Spanta said that what is called Islamic fundamentalism is against modernity, academic and cultural wisdom.
He said that to find the factors behind backwardness of Islamic countries, Muslims should not accuse others. “We should come out of ourselves and find the root causes of our poverty and backwardness,” he added.
India’s former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that India cannot abandon Afghans in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country.
Speakers of the conference touched upon challenges of Muslim women, terrorism and Afghanistan’s transformation decade.
Delegates from the United States, Belgium, China Egypt, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and a number of international organizations have attended the two day conference.
