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UNITED KINGDOM
From
BHC, New Delhi
Is UK foreign policy
to blame for terrorism?
 British police took action
against an alleged terrorist plot to blow up a number of aeroplanes. Speculation since about what
could motivate individuals to undertake such action has included
allegations that British foreign policy is ‘anti-Islamic’ or to blame for
terrorism.
Responding
to this speculation, Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman said: “As the
UK Minister of State for Defence, Des Browne, rightly said on 15 August
‘we have an obligation to explain to people, including members of the
Islamic community who live with us and make a valuable contribution to
our society, what our foreign policy objectives are.’
There
will always be controversial aspects of British foreign policy, which
extremists can use as ammunition to fuel hatred. Their rhetoric claims
not so much that our foreign policy is mistaken as that it is
deliberately anti-Islamic. They seek to portray a clash between
incompatible cultures in order to perpetuate suspicion, hatred and
violence. They do not speak for, or serve the interests of, the majority
of Muslims. Many Muslims
around the world have died in their terrorist attacks. They encourage Iraqi Muslims to
kill each other as well as their ‘occupiers’, but offer them no
solutions. Terrorists
exploit any cause to justify their actions. More troubling is others’ willingness to accept these
justifications.
British
foreign policy is not “anti-Islamic”. In the Middle East, we share the wish of most people
in the region for a peaceful solution to the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, based on a two-state solution, and we have dedicated a great
deal of impartial diplomatic effort towards supporting the Road Map. We condemn the killing of
civilians, whether they are targetted by a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv; or
caught up in Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip or Lebanon. The UK
pushed hard for a sustainable cease-fire because the people of Lebanon
and Israel deserve the real peace of a lasting solution and not just a
temporary, fragile reprieve. Our commitment to helping the people of Iraq
and Afghanistan achieve a better future is worthy of support, whether or
not you agreed with our interventions in the first place.
There
is no hidden agenda. The overarching
aim of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is summarised in our mission
statement ‘working for UK interests in a safe, just and prosperous
world’. We work in pursuit of the UK’s international strategic
priorities, as identified in our White Paper published this year. There are currently ten
priorities, on issues ranging from consular support for British citizens
overseas to countering the risks from climate change, crime, or
terrorism. Foreign Office ministers and officials also regularly engage
in dialogue with both the Islamic world and communities here in the UK,
to promote mutual trust and understanding, to hear others’ views, and to
work on our challenges together. Details of our strategic priorities, and
what we are doing to achieve them are freely available on our website.
The
priorities are underpinned by the core values of freedom, justice and
opportunity - the same values that drive government policy at home. We want all governments to be
accountable to their people, and we want a strong international system
based on the rule of law.
Because this offers the best chance for a just and secure world,
in which human rights and freedoms are respected, and we all have the
opportunity to prosper. The
UK government spends billions of pounds each year on humanitarian and
development assistance in support of these aims.
No
disagreement over foreign policy can ever justify terrorism. As FCO Minister Dr Kim Howells,
has said, you cannot rationalise an argument that says a part of a
population is allowed to use terrorist tactics because it doesn’t like
government foreign policy.
Although terrorism predates many of the UK’s current foreign
policies, it is unsurprising that extremists try to exploit sensitive
foreign policy issues to justify the unjustifiable - they use distorted
interpretations of Islamic texts in the same way. It would be a dreadful mistake to
accept either as explanations of what causes terrorism, or to re-evaluate
our policies on this basis. To do so would empower those advocating or
engaging in violence to the detriment of that huge majority of
law-abiding people. It would
encourage further violence, or exploitation of the UK climate of free
speech to propagate fear.
Everyone
has the right to question UK foreign policy and the freedom to debate,
discuss and disagree. Our
political system allows grievances to be expressed and acted upon through
effective peaceful methods. Democratic governments are accountable
through the political process, and can ultimately be removed by elections. There is never a need - or excuse
- to resort to violence.”
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