15 November 2007
Tunis — In an address on the occasion of the opening in Tunis of the international conference on "Terrorism: Dimensions, Threats and counter measures", President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali highlighted Tunisia's approach in eradicating terrorism, saying that: "In our view the most efficient remedy is the preventive remedy. It starts by eradicating the root causes underlying the rise of terrorism and the conditions that facilitate its propagation."
The conference which is held under the aegis of the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, (OIC) and the Islamic Organization for Education Science and Culture (ISESCO), will run from November 15 to 17, 2007.
More than 120 personalities, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon, attended the event; representatives from more than 40 international organizations, also took part in the conference.
"The intensification of social, economic, scientific and technological disparities between the countries of the North and South, the propagation of tensions and conflicts in the world, the failure to reach common and equitable solutions to outstanding international problems , in addition to the double standards policy adopted in addressing these problems, clearly show that our world today is not in good health, and that international relations call for concern and worry", said President Ben Ali, adding that "terrorists from both sides have exploited these conditions to arouse grudges and rekindle conflicts".
Stressing Tunisia's decision to "place the sector of education and training at the forefront of our national choices", President Ben Ali also highlighted the country's strategic choices to address the problem of employment, the role of Tunisian women, but also the promotion of a national solidarity drive through the setting up of the National Solidarity Fund and the National Employment Fund. In this respect, he evoked the role played by the country's large middle class, which represents more than 80% of the Tunisian population.
He also pointed out that "Islam has nothing to do with extremism, violence and terrorism. It is a religion of moderation, peace, dialogue and tolerance", reiterating in this respect , Tunisia 's condemnation of the confusion between terrorism and Islam.
President Ben Ali also underscored Tunisia's efforts to promote dialogue and tolerance through the setting up in 1995, in cooperation with UNESCO of the "Carthage Charter of tolerance", the "Academic Chair for Dialogue among Civilizations and Religions" in 2001, the "Prize of the President of the Republic for Islamic Studies" in 2002, the "Tunis Peace Forum" in 2005 , the "Center for Studies and Research on inter-civilization Dialogue and Comparative Religions" also in 2005, and the "Tunis Declaration for Alliance among Civilizations", in February 2006."
In conclusion, President Ben Ali said that "the security, stability and prosperity of countries are indissociable from the security, stability and prosperity of the world. This should deepen our universal dimension in our thinking in behavior", adding that "Humanity is indeed an indivisible whole. Our world is everywhere the same, and our destiny is also the same. We have no other path but to engage in cooperation and solidarity" he concluded.
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