Ideas are our greatest weapons
Ladies and Gentlemen, today I’m going to talk you about the struggle against terrorism and the extremist ideology which the terrorists follow. I believe that this struggle is now one of the greatest political challenges and it will be over the 21st century. And I believe our most potent weapons in this struggle are our ideas.
Let me start with an example of what happens when ideas are twisted. 9/11 America, the largest terrorist attack ever in human history, about 3000 casualties and 9000 injured people. The attack was planned and executed by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and the members of it, who were captured said: „We won!“. You see, they believe the actions leading to their death sentence will hasten their entry to Paradise.
Some of you might ask: What is fanning this misconception and also this violent extremism? The answer is: ideas. The ideas, that drive terrorist groups like JI and Al-Qaeda, are based on a distorted and selective interpretation of Islam. That’s also where Bush got wrong. He did'nt understand that we are fighting an ideology, and you can't just blow that up on the battlefield. We have to change the way people think. Ideas are like viruses, and we need to infect people who might become terrorists with ideals of liberty, democracy, and freedom.
The Grand Mufti of Egypt, the highest official of religious law in a Muslim country, said recently "the extremists' view of Islam as a religion of violence, retribution and war is in complete opposition to the truth of Islam". But though most of the Muslims agree with it, the terrorist ideology has still attracted a significant following. So the challenge we face is to confront the ideas that lead otherwise rational people into the arms of extremists. Because, as French philosopher Voltaire said, "anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices".
We have to fight these ideas with superior ideas. You cannot bomb an