YouSaid · the spoken record

Moradian

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9

first

2021-08-19

most recent

2021-08-19

sittings or episodes

1

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un-security-council

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1. “It is therefore not an exaggeration when I use the word “catastrophe”. The word has also been used by the Secretary-General in recent remarks to the Council. The crisis of Afghanistan during the last four decades has shown that a military solution is just a brief pause before the next phase of the war. The Taliban and their regional partners, particularly the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, should reflect on the principal role they are playing either in mitigating or in accelerating a catastrophic situation in Afghanistan, which is an outcome that will determine our decades- old struggle against terrorism.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

2. “These passengers were not alone in their desperation and fear; they represent millions of Afghans from diverse backgrounds, from women rights activists to destitute farmers. The world must step in to avert and mitigate an apocalyptic humanitarian tragedy. To this end, the United Nations must go beyond its usual approach and declare the situation an urgent humanitarian crisis under the provisions of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and undertake serious and urgent deliberation with a view to declaring Kabul a safe zone protected by a United Nations peacekeeping mission. That would allow the opposing factions to come to an inclusive political settlement, while working to mitigate the unfolding catastrophe. I use the word “catastrophe” very intentionally because I was in a very catastrophic situation in Kabul just 48 hours ago.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

3. “It is natural to be fascinated by the symbolic coincidence of the two anniversaries or intellectual discussion about the definition of terrorism or to engage in political debate about the blame game. But what we must focus on is the humanitarian dimension and the unfolding catastrophe. As the President stated earlier, I was at Kabul airport when desperate passengers held back departing airplanes belonging to the United States, including my own airplane, which was due to leave that airport. It was a scene of sheer human desperation, helplessness and fear. One of the passengers who fell to the ground from a flying airplane was reportedly a member of Afghanistan’s national football team.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

4. “If there is utility and wisdom in a political approach to the Taliban, why should it not be extended to other groups or the other way around? All those groups share fundamental characteristics with one another, despite differences in the scope of their activities. Again, using the COVID-19 analogy, there are variants of the same original phenomenon, which have mutated to different degrees of lethality and versions, as with the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants. Terrorism, 11 September and Afghanistan have become defining names in global conversation about terrorism. The take-over of Kabul by the Taliban, on the eve of twentieth anniversary of 9/11, will be remembered as a historic benchmark and turning point.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

5. “Our global struggle against terrorism can also be compared and contrasted with our other global struggle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In our recent struggle, we have witnessed the phenomenon of vaccine nationalism, in which rich nations choose self-interest over collective interests. Despite the rhetoric of fighting all forms of terrorism, sadly, many Governments have chosen to focus on their own terrorists, rather than on the integrated nature of global terrorism. The case of Afghanistan is a prime example of the contradictory approach to dealing with terrorism. Many have recommended political means to deal with the Taliban, while advocating military solutions for other like-minded groups such as Al-Qaida, Da’esh, the Pakistani Taliban and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

6. “However, in reality, terrorism is a product of the State system and one or other State tends to be behind or above a given terrorist group. In some cases, there is a group of like-minded States that supports militant groups, as was the case with the Mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Da’esh would not have survived and flourished, had it not been for the support that it receives from some member States. Sadly, the United Nations system protects its guilty members that engage in proxy wars against their regional and global adversaries by utilizing terrorism as a State policy. The disconnect between United Nations analytical reports and United Nations political statements and actions show the inability of the United Nations to confront the State sponsorship of terrorism.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

7. “While the bulk of terrorist perpetrators and victims have been Muslims, sadly, those in the Islamic world have remained passive observers in articulating a consistent, credible and constructive narrative about an existential threat to Muslims’ well-being and security. The intellectual and political stagnation of our religious, cultural and educational institutions have immensely contributed to the rise of extremism and the failure of defensive measures against the threat in the Islamic world. Let me bring in the role of the most privileged members of international system — referred to as member States — in our collective failure. The overwhelming approach to terrorism has been to treat it as a non-State phenomenon and independent from a State-centric international system.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

8. “I would like to offer my own reflections and analysis on some of the reasons for our collective failure. I will begin in my own field — the academic world. There is hardly any reasonable consensus and intellectual agreement on the very definition and understanding of terrorism. The diversity of names and labels to describe militant Islamist movements indicate that conceptual confusion. Names and labels include jihadist, Salafi, fundamentalist, Islamic terrorist, extremist, violent extremist, Islamo-fascist, insurgent, barbarian, terrorist, foreign terrorist and international terrorism, as well as others. The failure of the Islamic world to own its share of responsibility is the other important reason for our collective failure.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source

9. “Mr. Moradian: It is a great honour for me to have the opportunity to share my perspective on the threat of Da’esh to international security in this forum. In the light of the unfolding catastrophe and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, I will also bring in the Afghan tragedy and factors given the context of today’s briefing. In fewer than three weeks, the world will witness and commemorate the tragic and painful twentieth anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks, which gave birth to our collective struggle against terrorism. The fact that the Security Council is holding a regular session on Da’esh in August is testimony to the fact that the world has collectively failed to deal with the threat of terrorism after 20 years, despite allocating abundant resources in blood and treasure.”

   2021-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8839 (2021) · source