Fighting Terrorism for Humanity

Statement by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Dr Jan Peter Balkenende, New York 22 September 2003

Introduction

September 11th shocked the world. It also united the world in grief and sorrow for what we lost. From New York to Paris, from Teheran to Tokyo, the world mourned. Victims are victims in each society alike. The international community was swift in its response to the threat: the UN, the EU, the OSCE and NATO took action with extensive measures. The UN adopted two groundbreaking resolutions, UNSC 1368 that underlined the applicability of the right of self defence as stated in art 51 of the UN Charter and UNSC 1373 that obliges all UN Member States to take specific action against terrorists and their sponsors. I particularly welcome the important work of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee that has taken a leading role in implementing this resolution.

What has been done so far

The past two years we have concentrated on measures to fight terrorism, to give our police and intelligence services the tools to more effectively track down terrorists and to ensure the safety of airports, sea lanes, ports and critical infrastructure. Now NATO is active in Afghanistan in ISAF, as part of an effort to make sure that terrorists can no longer use its territory as a base for attacks. We also looked at the origins and patterns in terrorism and I am happy that we are here to elaborate on the factors underlying global terrorism. I welcome this initiative by Norway to organise this meeting and bringing together people from different countries and societies to discuss this important element, necessary for seriously tackling the problem of terrorism. We should look at breeding grounds for extremism and terrorism, but we must at the same time make sure that we keep our focus on fighting terrorism. Trying to understand why people commit these types of hostile acts and addressing those factors may never be an excuse for inaction and lack of commitment or resources for the fight against terrorists.

Terrorism is not related to poverty, specific religion or culture

As “hard security” efforts will continue to be of vital importance in the fight against terrorism, it must go hand in hand with a deeper insight into the factors which underlie the motivation of terrorists. Looking at the 9/11 terrorists, both the planners and the perpetrators, we can conclude that they were neither poor nor poorly educated. They had had opportunities to study (in the west) and to live in relative good conditions. Poverty and lack of opportunity are not the main reasons why people revert to terrorism. Saying so would not only be beside the truth, but also be an insult to the millions of people that do live in poverty (and that do need and get our attention and assistance) by branding them as potential terrorists.

Terrorism is not linked to specific cultures or religions. Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East have suffered from terrorist acts. Recently Bali, Riyadh and Casablanca were targeted and people of different cultures and religions were victimised. We should therefore look deeper. We should look at societies and their place in a world that is becoming more integrated rapidly.

Alienation at the root of terrorism

An important aspect of terrorism seems to be a process of alienation. Rapid development puts high demands on the ability of communities and people to adapt. Internet and satellite television bring the latest developments instantly to the most remote places and bring about change that used to take ages in the past. This can alienate people from the societies they live in. It can alienate societies from the world that surrounds them. Not being able to cope with a changing environment can cause distress and insecurity. [The American writer and political analyst Robert Kaplan states that] In that sense the biggest challenge is not poverty, but development, the process of going from one stage to another that causes turbulence and resistance in societies.

In a situation of change people look for old anchors that can hold society in place. Religion, culture and tradition are powerful catalysts around which the defenders of the status quo gather and unite. When professed in a peaceful way they can provide stability, but in the hands of extremists they become a tool for radicalisation, hatred and resistance to change. To keep things as they always were the dogma’s and holy texts of religion provide the moral justification to fight change: what has been right for centuries cannot be changed by simple circumstance.

Today the pace of development puts severe strains on societies. Yes, it may be possible to shield oneself if only briefly from the outside world. But that will ultimately only increase tension, discrepancy and alienation. Societies need to promote political and economical freedom to remain innovative and competitive in comparison with their region and neighbours. If they don’t differences in relative wealth and modernity will be catalysts of envy and friction. They need openness and equality to avoid tension within societies and they need individual freedom and tolerance and respect for peoples traditions and religions.

If I look, for example, to the Middle East, the UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report concludes that a lack of freedom lies at the heart of lack of growth in that region. Economic freedom that enables it to compete effectively on world markets and political freedoms to open people minds for creativity and innovation. I am not suggesting to copy any model of society, but I am convinced that the problems identified in the UNDP’s report need to be addressed. The Netherlands and the EU are willing to assist in that process. In the Barcelona process we are already in close contact with the countries of the Mediterranean about political, economic and cultural issues. In that way we are providing each other with valuable insight in each other’s way of living. We are engaging in a dialogue of cultures and civilisations with our Mediterranean partners.

Breeding grounds in The Netherlands

We need that insight because we also need to look at our own societies. Alienation within our societies creates fertile breeding grounds for extremism. Feelings of injustice and despair can easily develop into solidarity with a broader struggle. The fact that two young Dutchmen were killed by Indian border guards in Kashmir, recruited in the Netherlands as fighters for the Jihad opened our eyes for the real dangers of this phenomena. Closed groups within our societies that do not fully participate in our society are vulnerable for extremism. To counter that we need to build communities that are open for everybody to participate in. We need to find what binds us and our societies and strengthen these ties as much as we can. We need to redouble our efforts to integrate people and to provide them with equal opportunity. And we have to have respect for what they consider essential to their culture. Integration on the other hand also means showing that separation from the rest of society is not an option. We expect tolerance and respect for our way of life by showing an open hand and an open eye for what may be different from our own culture.

Conclusion

Terrorism is a phenomenon that threatens us all. We have to continue to act vigorously and effectively against those who intend to commit terrorist acts. At the same time it is useful to look at what brings people to commit terrorist acts. I have described that alienation and stagnation can develop into breeding grounds for extremism and even terrorism. There are no easy ways to solve these problems. But we cannot ignore reality and hide behind rhetoric. We cannot ignore the process of development nor can we permit ourselves to disconnect from it. Leaders, especially in countries that face the problems that I have described, have a special responsibility to recognise these problems and to act upon them. We have to develop the sense of community within nations and between nations. We need to be open and ready to assist each other. We need to learn from each other and respect differences in culture. And we should not judge too quickly, but keep in close contact with each other. In openness and dialogue we can find out what binds us rather than what sets us apart.