The Role of Moderate Religious Discourse in Combating Extremist Ideology

AMMAN, JORDAN: The Strong Cities Network in Jordan and Lebanon, and in collaboration with our implementing partner, the West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Institute, held its second virtual panel discussion (Diwaneyeh) on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, titled: “The Role of Moderate Religious Discourse in Combating Extremist Ideology” as part of the network’s newly launched series of virtual panel discussions: The “Diwaneyat” Initiative.
Guest Speakers representing different religious groups from both Jordan and Lebanon discussed a number of topics, including, but not limited to: the role of sermons, guidance, and preaching in the promotion of a moderate religious ideology, the role of moderate religious discourse in building resilience to extremism and combating hate speech, the importance of reforming religious discourse and tailoring the tone and language to different audiences with a focus on at-risk youth groups, and last, but not least, the role of interfaith dialogue in preventing violent extremism.
Strong Cities Network Project Manager in Jordan, Ms. Alaa Mufleh introduced the “Diwaneyeh” by providing an overview of the Strong Cities Network in Jordan.  She also presented the work of the Local Prevention Networks in Irbid, Karak, and Zarqa in designing programs that focus on preventing violent extremism over the past few years. The Local Prevention Network’s Focal Point in Irbid, Mr. Ismael al-Hawari, Head of the Culture Preservation Unit at Irbid’s Greater Municipality provided an overview of the network’s history in Irbid and highlighted the importance of working collaboratively with local partners to achieve social cohesion. The “Diwaneyeh” was facilitated by Mr. Mohammad Affan, a member of the Local Prevention Network in Irbid, and the Executive Director of Gweilbeh Youth Empowerment Center in Irbid. The guest speakers were:

- Father Boulous Baqaeen, Patron of the Roman Catholic Church in Karak and a member of the Local Prevention Network;
- Professor Saeed Abdulraman, Lecturer in International Relations and expert on Preventing Violent Extremism from Lebanon’s Majdal Anjar Local Prevention Network;
- Mr. Abdulhaq Kharoub, a local activist and distinguished researcher in Islamic Group Affairs from Lebanon’s Majdal Anjar Local Prevention Network.

The Diwaneyat initiative -a joint initiative by the Strong Cities Network in Jordan and the West Asia - North Africa Institute- is a series of seminars through which we aim to facilitate systematic sharing of knowledge, expertise and lessons learned on building social cohesion and community resilience to prevent violent extremism.  It should be noted that the Strong Cities Network, which is led by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and funded by the Dutch government, is the first ever global network of mayors, municipal-level policy makers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms. In Jordan, the project is currently being implemented by the WANA Institute, which is a non-profit policy think tank based in Amman, Jordan, and chaired by His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal.
For inquiries about the Strong Cities Network in Jordan and to discuss ways to get involved, please contact SCN project Manager in Jordan, Ms. Alaa Mufleh at: Alaa.Mufleh@WANA.JO.