Defense Ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) emphasized the importance of coordinating and uniting their efforts to ward off the dangers of terrorism and take a stand against it.
The Ministers also reiterated the importance of draining the sources of terrorist financing and empowering the media to combat extremist ideology from any source.
Major General Tawfiq Abdel-Samie, assistant of Egyptian Minister of Defense, stated that the meeting confirms the intention to fight terrorism that is threatening all of the countries around the world. He elaborated that terrorism is a threat that requires all countries to face it responsibly.
Abdel-Samie added that the goal of terrorist groups is no longer to achieve political and social interests through violence, but rather try to overthrow sovereign states to control them.
Kuwait's Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammad al-Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah stated that his country's eagerness to join IMCTC stems from its unyielding disapproval of the scourge of terrorism.
Al-Sabah underlined efforts to "tighten the noose on terrorists all over the world." He said that it is the duty of the alliance to align their efforts to keep the menace of terrorism at bay, which in turn, would prevent sectarian strife that threatens the region's stability.
The Kuwaiti minister reiterated the role of collective efforts in preventing "terrorist groups and militias from spreading their twisted ideological zealotry."
"Today, we send a vociferous message that no part of our society has been spared this plague of terrorism," he added, citing the recent attack on a mosque in Egypt's restive Sinai peninsula as tragic affirmation.
For his part, Minister of State for Media Affairs of Jordan, Mohammad al-Momani discussed communications and media, and the importance of producing and disseminating content to undermine and counter the appeal of violent extremism.
“One of the most important roles that media outlets in Islamic countries should assume is to refute the false allegations that terrorist groups use to justify their crimes," he said.
Jordan's minister explained that the role of media should be to proactively broadcast and produce truthful content that cherishes the true values of Islam, with all its lofty human dimensions.
"The media should sow these seeds in the minds of young people and future generations," he announced.
Also at the meeting, Bahrain's Minister of Defense Affairs Maj. Gen. Yousef al-Jalahmeh said the extraordinary circumstances of the region, created by countries that adopted terrorism and supported its organizations, constituted a dangerous turning point to security and stability.
Iran's involvement in the region is blatant threat to countries in the region, according to the minister who added that Tehran targeted Saudi Arabia and occupied parts of the UAE.
He pointed out that Bahrain has been subjected to a series of terrorist events resulting in 26 martyrs and more than 3000 injured security men and citizens. He also cited the latest attack on an oil pipeline, which "requires all of us to stand united in the face of terrorism."
Turkish Minister of National Defense Nurettin Canikli, also participating in the meeting, said Muslims and Islamic countries suffer the most from instability and lack of security.
“We strongly condemned this massacre that took place in Egypt,” Canikli said, stressing that attacking worshipers during the weekly Friday prayer is something unacceptable, adding: "those murderers do not represent Islam, they are using those chances to cause turmoil in our societies."
Canikli stated that solving domestic issues would hinder terrorism from exploiting sectarian, political and economic issues.
He confirmed Turkey will never tolerate terrorist threats, vowing to continue taking all necessary measures against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and others.
