'Tackling poverty, unemployment key to fight extremism'

Ending marginalisation of various groups of people in conflict-ridden regions of the Middle East and addressing issues like poverty and unemployment are key to fight extremism, a top Jordanian official said here today.
Fayaz Tarawneh, the Chief of the Royal Court of Jordan, said countries must manifest strong political will and make synchronised efforts to combat the menace of terrorism.
"They (extremists) see no border and no religion. We must act together in a holistic manner," he said, adding that the root cause, be it political or economic, of "this cancer" should not be allowed to flourish.
"This is why there is no alternative, but to synchronise action on focusing resources, dividing tasks in a truly global alliance. Our success hinges on our ability to deliver on this," he said.

He was delivering a lecture on 'Global War on Terrorism and its Implications on Middle East Region and Beyond' at the Indian Council of World Affairs.
The real fight is between moderates of all religions against all extremists and fear-mongers, he said.

"This significantly means addressing injustice, unemployment, poverty and inequality, the building rocks of extremism," Tarawneh said, adding that expanding defence budget of various countries can be utilised to address these crucial issues.
A former Prime Minister of Jordan, Tarawneh also vehemently advocated a two-state solution to end the Palestine-Israel conflict.
"The Palestinian and Israeli conflict has the potential to become a religious conflict of a global dimension. This is why a two-state solution should remain a priority for us.

"History has taught us that battles may be won militarily
but the war cannot be won without securing the ideological front," Tarawneh said.
He said that his country has been supporting the efforts for an Iraqi reconciliation and seeks to prioritise it as a key agenda in the Arab Summit in Amman, scheduled to be held by the end of this month.
Issues like extremism cannot be countered without having an inclusive political system, he said, adding that groups like ISIS breed on continued incitement and the feeling of injustice among people.
Noting that Jordan shoulders the responsibility of refugees from neighbouring war-torn Arab countries, Tarawneh said at least one in five in Jordan is a Syrian.

"But this should not be taken for granted. Jordan has continued to do whatever it can to stabilise the region and fulfil its responsibilities as a key player. But this is not something that should be taken for granted by the international community," he said.
Referring the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior Jordanian official said that the "biggest mistake" was invasion of these two countries.
The official said Iraq was attacked under the pretext that the Saddam Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
"However, there were no (weapons of) mass destruction (in Iraq). Invasion of Afghanistan created ISIS and it was exported out to the whole world, especially to the Middle East and North Africa," the official added.

The official said that there is no common understanding between the big powers on the definition of terrorism.
Speaking on the Syrian crisis, the official said there was a need for better communication between the US and Russia to resolve it.
Jordan will work toward creating a common minimum ground to deal with the Syrain crisis.