Speech by Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, at a Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi

Considering the ideological foundation of terrorism, we must not think that the struggle against it will be quick or easy. Terrorists have grown and received education at schools that received investment for many years.

In the name of Allah the Beneficent and the Merciful,

Mr. President, forum participants,

I will speak about a region that has its roots in such countries as Afghanistan and Pakistan and also includes countries of the Middle East and North Africa. All of these countries have one thing in common, which is living amid a crisis, terrorism, wars and political instability. Although terrorism is an international problem and concerns nearly every country in one way or another, and although there are thousands of Americans and Europeans in such terrorist organizations as ISIS, the center of gravity of this problem is located in the above region. Over the past few years, that region has seen wars, occupation and endless political chaos, which was bound to encourage terrorism. On the whole, it can be said that the system of security in this region has been disrupted.

What are the root causes of this?

1. In terms of the balance of international forces, the replacement of the bipolar world with an ineffective unipolar world order left nearly all countries that were involved in the polarization of the international community in limbo. Some of them resorted to extremism in an attempt to strengthen their influence and role in the world. Others, some of them small countries, helped fan tensions in the region through the unwise use of money and brazen politics. Overall, the old system of security, even if we agree that it was unsound, was completely destroyed during the polarization period, leaving no alternative in its wake.

2. The system of states that developed in the region after WWI and WWII has seen major challenges for a number of reasons. The recent wave of revolutions and the increase in democratic demands destroyed the old systems of power in some countries and rendered other governments unviable: they are barely standing against the onslaught of public anger. In other words, changes in the old system, no matter what direction they took, have created political turbulence and have destabilized regional security.

3. The growth of science, education and communication opportunities faced dictatorships, many of which depended on the United States and European powers and remained in power for a long time, with the political awareness of the public. Young people no longer demand only water, bread and jobs but are increasingly concerned with political and religious ideals and want to be able to decide their future. These governments’ refusal to respect their opinion has forced young people to leave the open stage, pushing them into the trap of terrorism.

4. Occupation, which has been the fate of Afghanistan and Iraq for the past two decades, and the creation of havoc in such countries as Syria created conditions for involving young people in terrorist groups, which merits serious attention from social psychology. When people despise themselves for being dominated by the soldiers of a foreign country, especially when these soldiers behave in a harsh and disrespectful manner, it’s natural to expect that young people will not tolerate it but will look for a way to resist an occupation force. These young people become easy prey for terrorist recruiters. To my point, look at how terrorist groups developed in Afghanistan and Iraq. War and occupation invariably create conditions for the strengthening or development of terrorist sentiments, as we could see during the war in Yemen, when terrorists spread their influence to the southern regions of that country.

5. The tactics and instruments used by large powers to deal with this issue over the past decades were strategically wrong. You can find a connection to the secret services of some large powers in the history of most terrorist groups. Even now that the national leaders have pointed to the danger of terrorism, the large powers continue to supply weapons and other tools to the terrorists whom they present as “moderate opposition.” These powers believe that they will be able to get rid of these terrorist groups after they have served their interests, but it is these conditioned views that have become the main driving force of terrorism. Terrorists are using these immature beliefs to their advantage, and it’s obvious that when they grow stronger they will redirect their attention to their own goals, and it will be very difficult to defeat them then. It’s a fact that the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has not done away with terrorists. And I fear that this is not the end of story.

What should we do then?

A responsible stand by the countries in the region is the main pillar of security. Considering regional specifics and the growing awareness of people, a solid security system can only be created with the active involvement of regional powers. Of course, large powers can provide assistance. But given the current situation, including internal conditions and some hot heads’ unsubstantiated views of the situation, there is little chance of integration aimed at restoring stable security. Therefore, we need to focus on two vital factors that can put the region on the path to security.

First, there are countries in the region that have a realistic view of developments and the will to fight terrorism. Of course, they differ in their degree of realism and political weight. Iran has always denounced the terrorists’ radicalism; it has been fighting them and has paid a steep price for it. Other countries, which consult Iran on the Arab and other issues, are also worried and they also need assistance. However, they haven’t advanced far in this respect apart from political statements. But if they use their assistance more effectively, they will strengthen their international standing.

Second, responsible global powers can use consultations and cooperation with the committed countries of the region to advance the fight against terrorism to a more practical level. Russia, China and the SCO have a huge role to play. The influence wielded by this group of countries has alarmed some states, which would like to help but are worried about their image, whereas they could become the basis for antiterrorist actions. In light of this, we see Russia’s presence in the region, which it has entered at the request of the Syrian government, as timely and responsible. Unlike the US-led coalition’s pretense of struggle against terrorism, whose only achievement over the past year was to further incite terrorism, Russia’s actions have come as a serious warning to terrorists and have influenced the essence of the problem and not its propaganda presentation. This Russian policy and the integration of other responsible parties in it can seriously help contain the threat of terrorism.

Colleagues,

Considering the ideological foundation of terrorism, we must not think that the struggle against it will be quick or easy. Terrorists have grown and received education at schools that received investment for many years. New terrorist groups are created, although terrorism is not part of the Islamic tradition, and the main Islamic schools of thought – the Hanbali, the Shafi’i, the Mālikī, the Hanafi, the Shia, the Sufis and the Zeidi – denounce terrorism. These groups are not large, but they have grown strong on external financial assistance and have built their doctrine on fanaticism, radicalism, narrow-mindedness, heresy and the right to kill other people. These groups send their emissaries to other countries to spread their teachings, while social unrest helps them recruit new supporters. These groups receive huge financial resources, although their theories have been denounced as a perversion of Islam by the leaders of Islamic madhāhib, or schools of thought, for example from Al-Azhar University, which is the main Sunni university, and also Zaidi, Sunnite and Sufi leaders.

Therefore, we not only have to fight terrorists with weapons or on the political and diplomatic stage, but we must also analyze the cultural roots of these sects and their actions, coordinate our views on these roots and choose the most suitable form of cultural struggle against them.

Another important thing is that this struggle can put the countries of the region into new places with regard to modern challenges. The biggest question is whether this new lineup of forces, which must be lasting, can be created without a theory of strategic coalition?

But if we only consider the struggle against terrorism from the tactical viewpoint and current requirements, even if this is a positive stand and not the Western tactics based on the use of negative instruments, we will nevertheless suffer a crushing defeat. We must admit that the phenomenon of terrorism must not be considered lightly and unwisely, given the growth of terrorism in terms of quality and quantity. An analysis of the development of terrorism over the past two or more decades shows that terrorism grew by leaps and bounds, starting as a resistance movement in the mountains of Afghanistan and eventually spreading to many countries. Terrorism has occupied large territories and has amassed huge stockpiles of weapons. ISIS alone has funds worth about $30 billion. It has oil to replenish its financial resources, and it also receives resources from other countries.

Therefore, the fight against terrorism cannot be considered a tactical and short-term project. We will need to work hard and long to create a new security system in the region. In light of this, we need to develop long-term strategic ties, which should include various aspects including cultural, political, economic and security relations to help responsible countries develop trust for each other and to start strengthening this trust.

We are grateful to our Russian friends for their hospitality.

Thank you.
Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.