Manama: A robust collective response is needed to combat terrorism, extremism and sectarianism, Canada’s foreign minister has said.
“It strikes me most of the challenges in this region are driven by the opposite of collective, collaborative approaches,” John Baird said.
“Sectarianism and its dangerous rise in the Middle East come in many forms. Divides are being exploited to achieve regional or geopolitical ends, with immense human cost. They are exploited by some sinister state actors to meddle in the affairs of others for their own gain, as is too often the case with Iran. Sectarianism is also exploited by and emboldened by nefarious non-state actors who wreak havoc across ungoverned expanses,” Baird said as he addressed the Manama Dialogue in the Bahraini capital.
The threat of sectarianism transcends the borders within the Middle East and those between the region and others, he added.
“That is why Canada has made the Middle East a top priority, and why I take every opportunity to visit. At the same time as the world gets smaller … and, to some extent, because of it … the world also feels more dangerous. The urgency of collective action could not be higher. These threats are common to us all, and we must tackle them together based on common principles … We know our security and prosperity is intrinsically connected to the security and prosperity of others. The most effective response to a threat is not just to build bigger walls, but to get out there and work on reducing the threat itself,” he said in his speech on Saturday.
However, Baird stressed tackling threats posed by extremism and sectarianism needed more than just military might.
“You cannot fight sectarianism with sectarianism, any more than you can fight fire with fire. In our hyper-connected world, where information and perceptions flow rapidly, the battlefield is increasingly in the mind.
“We all have to do much more to counter poisonous narratives that say sectarianism and nationalism are the only ways for our citizens to be, and feel, secure. We can achieve a more secure, stable world by working together to fight terror — wherever, or however, it emerges, a world where trade and economic prosperity are the surest path to a better future where freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are protected,” Baird said.
