Fighting extremism : Beyond free speech and ‘freedom to insult’

Fighting extremism : Beyond free speech and ‘freedom to insult’ Desra Percaya  ;  Indonesian ambassador/permanent representative of Indonesia  to the United Nations, New York

JAKARTA POST, 06 Februari 2015

                                                                                                                                     

                                                

The fallout from the recent violent attacks by extremists on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has reached far beyond the borders of France. This type of problem is not new and the recent killings in Paris highlight again at least three persisting facts related to this issue that need to be focused on in the quest for an effective solution. First, the incidents did not occur in a vacuum. While they were rooted in local social realities, they triggered worldwide repercussions that affected people who had nothing to do with them. A new wave of Islamophobic sentiment that threatens social cohesion and co-existence in affected pluralistic communities were expected following news of the attacks that were attributed to Islamists. The attacks have driven the surge of stigmatization against those groups of people for something they did not do, do not think and certainly do not wish for and therefore further alienated some of those poor and powerless minority groups. Mass protests, some of which led to riots, took place in some parts of the world over the unfolding news related to those events and the perceived way these people were handled, regrettably resulting in innocent casualties. Second, the issue involves a complex phenomenon with multidimensional challenges and cannot be characterized simply as violent extremism versus free speech. It has brought about diverse narratives in describing and understanding the problems by different groups of society. It has also brought again to the surface the controversy over the limits of free speech, tensions between civil liberty and public security, perceived double standards and even the disintegration of values or incoherence in their observance in those societies that pride themselves as champions of equality and human rights advocacy. Without seriousness shown in addressing these value-related issues, this situation could worsen the trust deficit existing in some societies and prevent the international community from developing a united front to combat violent extremism in all its aspects. Third, this issue recurs from time to time without countries individually or collectively being ready to confront or deflate it with an effective and comprehensive response to at least mitigate its impact. As a multi-ethnic and multi-religion nation, Indonesia, where respect and tolerance are long-standing values and the foundation of the state, this issue is very close to the core pillar of our society. It is therefore not without reason that the government has been actively engaging various stakeholders at the domestic, regional and global levels to find a comprehensive solution to the problem. On Jan. 26, Indonesia and Sweden co-hosted a high-level dialogue at the UN headquarters in New York with the theme “Staying Together — Dialogue in the Face of Violent Extremism”. The event featured prominent panelist, including the UN deputy secretary-general, UN high commissioner for human rights; UNESCO director general, representatives of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the UN Alliance of Civilizations, as well as a representative of Indonesian civil society organizations. Participants included Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallström. All those present at that the dialogue were united in denouncing and condemning violence being perpetrated by extremist individuals and groups, and also in reaffirming that such repugnant conduct should not be attributed to any particular religion or its followers in general. Nonetheless, what we need now are not rhetorical statements or “unilateral measures”, but effective solutions. To start with, the international community must forge a common platform that facilitates joint action by all stakeholders for countering violent extremism in all stages and in a comprehensive manner, along with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We need a platform that provides a broad range of common tools for members of the international community to deal with this type of issue in concert and synergy, whenever it arises. The absent of this common platform has so far led to the fragmented approach by the international community, which has been counterproductive in confronting such a complex and sensitive issue. A common platform has so far never been easy to achieve, but is certainly within reach. It does not require a new set of norms such as a protocol or convention. To achieve this, we must begin with an attitude of openness and mutual respect. It is only with this that a platform can be developed. It is critical that such a platform is not based on one single set of universal values but is cognizant and respectful of different sets of equally important values that exist and are highly observed in various communities. Only with an attitude of this nature can a common solution to the problems be devised not based on a single narrative but that seriously takes into account the diverse narratives of others. ●