Deputy Chairman of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) Dr. Ahmed Kamal Abul Magd warned against the growing wave of religiosity among the followers of different beliefs. Such growing tide took different forms, topped by the widespread wave of extremism and fanaticism. In his word yesterday before the third international conference of NCHR in cooperation with UNESCO, Abul Magd said that extremism and fanaticism pose an imminent threat to the security of communities. He focused on fundamentalism and its implications on human rights worldwide. In light of regional, political and internal crises in various countries, the hidden political opposition has taken the form of grave violence. This opposition sometimes turned into random terrorism that represents a serious danger to the right to live.
A number of Arabs and Muslims perpetrated violence and terrorism during the past twenty years. Therefore, there has been a wave of hostility against them both. That wave will lead to more tension and difficulty in resolving the political and economic problems because of that destructive polarization. This wave of extremism and fanatic interpretation of religious texts started to retreat, as there have been important ideological reconsiderations on the part of some groups that used to adopt violence and embrace radical change. In addition, other ideological schools started to interpret religious texts rationally. In fact, Islam is a deathless law, not because it has solutions for all problems, but because it contains development tools that cope with all times, places and conditions. Chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights in the Pan-African Parliament Abdel Ahad Gamal Eddin said extremism is a serious challenge facing human rights. “There is State terrorism, which is a reaction to the policies of some countries that violate human rights. Terrorism and extremism are not only in religion, but also in all ideas and theories” he said. “Terrorism may have also resulted from the policies and ramifications of economic, social and cultural crises,” he added. For his part, former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf criticized rampant poverty and dictatorial regimes in the world.
