Extremists will not be allowed to distort the image of Islam: Saudi Crown Prince

Riyadh: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that extremists will not be allowed to tarnish the identity of Islam as a religion of peace. He was speaking at the opening of the inaugural meeting of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) Ministers of Defense Council in Riyadh on Sunday. He said today we are giving a strong message that we will work together in the war against terrorism. “The biggest danger of this terrorism and extremism is the tarnishing of the reputation of our beloved religion… We will not allow this to happen,” he said. General Raheel Sharif stressed the need to assist in the coordination of resourcing and planning of member country military CT operations; facilitate the secure sharing of military information; and encourage military CT capacity and capability building to ultimately deter aggression and violence. He said the biggest challenge in the 21st century especially Muslim world is facing is to deal with terrorism. IMCTC Acting Secretary General, Lt. Gen. Abdulelah Al-Saleh, outlined the coalition’s strategy, governance, activities and future plans. The IMCTC encompasses an integrated approach to coordinate and unite on the four key domains of ideology, communications, counter-terrorism financing, and military, in order to fight all forms of terrorism and extremism and to effectively join other international security and peacekeeping efforts. The coalition will develop, collect, shop and disseminate a wide range of information on counterterrorism programs and best techniques embarked on by member nations and international organizations.