The critical role of government communication in combatting extremism was highlighted today at the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016), currently underway at the Expo Centre Sharjah. In a panel session entitled Confronting Extremism: Government Communication and the Creation of a Humanist Culture', speakers stressed the need for government communication to promote tolerance and help end discrimination and sectarianism. The panelists called for government communication to promote the true image of Islam as a moderate religion that respects the rights and responsibilities of individuals, as opposed to one focused on extremism and hatred for others.
The critical role of government communication in combatting extremism was highlighted today at the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016), currently underway at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
In a panel session entitled Confronting Extremism: Government Communication and the Creation of a Humanist Culture', speakers stressed the need for government communication to promote tolerance and help end discrimination and sectarianism. The panelists called for government communication to promote the true image of Islam as a moderate religion that respects the rights and responsibilities of individuals, as opposed to one focused on extremism and hatred for others.
The session was attended by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The audience included key political figures, thought leaders, academicians, media representatives, and professionals from government communication departments in the UAE and the wider region.
Mohannad Al Khatib media personality from Sky News Arabia, moderated the panel discussion, which also featured His Excellency Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, UNAOC High Representative, Dominique de Villepin, Prime Minister of France (2005-2007), and Husain Haqqani, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States (2008-2011).
His Excellency Al-Nasser said: Violent extremism, in all its forms, has reached unprecedented levels and this requires us to create transformative strategies beyond the existing legal, military or security measures already in place. Together we need to address the causes of extremism.
Referring to the use of social media by extremist groups to radicalise and recruit young people, His Excellency Al-Nasser added: In the online world, real-time connections allow easy access to information. Extremist groups capitalise on this unregulated world to communicate violent ideologies to the most vulnerable people to undermine our shared values of peace, justice and humanity. This is why we need to continue empowering national communication strategies to align government and media communications for the purpose of addressing and targeting hate speech.
Urging a united approach to combatting extremism, Dominique de Villepin stressed: Military intervention is not the answer to extremism. It creates more terrorism because it makes connections between small terrorist groups and political groups that may have interests in confronting us, whether it is in the Middle East, Europe or Africa. The only good response to violence is a united international political approach, even if we do have to use military force at some point.
Underlining the importance of dialogue in creating the right environment for political action, the former French Prime Minister added: Communication should not be a one-way street from the government to the people. It has to go back from the people to the government. If it is not a two-way street, then it is propaganda, and propaganda creates more frustration and resentment because people want to be part of the solution.
Expressing the view that extremism is an outgrowth of ideas, Haqqani said we live in an era of clashing ideas in which controlling people's minds is not an option. Every society has a big story. In the Muslim world, that story is one of grievance and of being victims. This has enabled some people to create a narrative that says the rest of the world is against Muslims.
So the function of government communication should be to change the big narrative and motivate people to overcome their problems. Governments have to stop being reactive and be more proactive in using all means of communication to communicate the message that one can combine being a Muslim with being modern, added Haqqani.
The fifth edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016), themed Citizens for Prosperity', is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
IGCF 2016 focuses on the symbiotic relationship between governments and their people, and explores how government communications touch different aspects of people's everyday life, either directly or indirectly, through its impact on education, health care, unemployment, and poverty eradication. The annual forum convenes senior media personalities, government officials and thought leaders from across the globe to share best international practices in government communication and spread knowledge about the media in government entities.
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The critical role of government communication in combatting extremism was highlighted today at the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016), currently underway at the Expo Centre Sharjah. In a panel session entitled Confronting Extremism: Government Communication and the Creation of a Humanist Culture', speakers stressed the need for government communication to promote tolerance and help end discrimination and sectarianism. The panelists called for government communication to promote the true image of Islam as a moderate religion that respects the rights and responsibilities of individuals, as opposed to one focused on extremism and hatred for others. 
