In the modern warfare and presence of sophisticated weaponry and communication modes, terrorism has emerged as the most lethal threat to integrity of countries and safety of their people. It is not a threat to countries and regions but globally and demands a multidimensional role of political governments, security institutions and civil society to eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations.
Therefore, the dream of achieving durable peace cannot be materialized unless and until all the relevant stakeholders make collective efforts in defeating terrorism that is threatening our social fabric. “Terrorism is a known unlawful act of using force or violence to intimidate or coerce a government or people and damage national fabric for furthering the agenda of destabilization,” said Prof. Dr Jamil Khan, Director Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Peshawar.
Terming complete elimination of terrorism a complex riddle, he said, “it requires a comprehensive response of civil society, academics, religious scholars, media and other stakeholders.” He said, traditionally the states are thought to be on the forefront to curb terrorism but in modern age it is increasingly recognized that not the governments alone but other segments also have a key role to play in eliminating terrorism.
“Besides actions of security forces, the role of civil society can also be a way forward to address the causes of terrorism like radicalism, illiteracy and socioeconomic imbalances,” he said. “As civil society components largely operate independently and flexibly, they can better engage communities for forging unity against inimical forces.”
He said constructive role of civil society can also play role in upbringing a generation that dislikes terrorism and when reaching adolescent, this generation will have a clear vision about terrorism and avoid falling into hands of terrorists.
“A gradual process of countering radicalization, negativity and pessimist thinking through community engagements and promoting counter-narratives, can definitely have positive results,” Dr Jamil said. He said social media had badly affected ‘hujra culture’ in KP. “Today our youth is more influenced by social media than the saner voices of their elders as they spend lesser time with them.
“If properly integrated, our civil society, ulema, teachers and parents can collectively encourage community resilience against extremist ideologies by building trust between state and citizens,” he said.
