Bombing not enough against Takfiri terrorists: Senior UN official

The UN high commissioner for human rights says mere military measures against Takfiri terrorism is not enough to root out the scourge, emphasizing that “a reassertion of traditional Islam” is needed to accompany any measures to curb such terror.

Speaking during a meeting in Washington on Thursday, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein referred to the atrocities of militant groups such as al-Qaeda, the ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra, Boko Haram, and al-Shabab, and said military efforts against the groups have failed on their own.

“Just bombing them (the terrorist groups) or choking off their financing has clearly not worked, as that has now long been tried, for these groups have only proliferated and grown in strength,” the senior UN official said.
“What is needed is the addition of a different sort of battle-line, one waged principally by Muslim leaders and Muslim countries and based on ideas – on a reassertion of traditional Islam in the everyday narrative of Muslims,” Zeid added.
Zeid, himself a Jordanian, condemned the recent move by the ISIL to burn Jordanian pilot Mu’ath al-Kassassbeh alive.

Kassassbeh had been captured by the ISIL in December, when his plane went down in northern Syria during a mission against the terrorist group.

Zeid further said, “Takfiris are bent on the nihilistic destruction of all who think differently to them, beginning with Muslims.”

He appreciated the bid by Muslims across the world to denounce the cruel, harsh ideology promoted by the leaders of the Takfiri groups in Iraq and Syria, but said that more is needed to stop the proliferation of Takfiri groups across the world.