Al-Orabi dwells on UAE's 'comprehensive' approach to terrorism

CAIRO – Egypt's former foreign minister Mohamed al-Orabi described Thursday the United Arab Emirates' approach to terrorism as a "comprehensive one".

He added during a special seminar on Egypt and the UAE as models for the fight against terrorism at al-Bawaba News Institute that the UAE views terrorism as more than just a phenomenon the fight against which requires the force of arms.

He said UAE Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed has started calling for including an educational element in the fight against terrorism since 2011.

"This shows that the UAE believes in the importance of fighting terrorism and its adherents as well as preventing them from affecting the young generation from the very beginning," al-Orabi said.

He said the UAE dealt very professionally with terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The al-Bawaba News Institute organized the seminar in cooperation with the UAE Embassy in Cairo.

The seminar aimed at raising awareness among youth about the dangers of terrorism and extremism and means of fighting them.

It also aimed to throw light on the effects these dangerous phenomena have on Arab societies.

Those speaking in the seminar wanted to drive the message home that the intellectual elite can play a role in the fight against terrorism.

This elite, they said, is responsible for promoting moderate thinking and increasing the awareness of the members of the public.

Participating in the seminar were Chairman of the Board of al-Bawaba News Institute and member of the Egyptian parliament, Abdel Rahim Ali, and Acting UAE Ambassador in Egypt, Mariam Khalifa al-Kaabi, along with a large number of cultural figures, and researchers in the fields of terrorism and extremism.

A host of Arab officials also participated in the event.