The College of Education for the Humanities at Kerbala University organized a scientific symposium titled “Extremist Islamic Organizations: References, Ideology, and Objectives.” The symposium featured several speakers, including Dr. Abbas Obeid Al-Amiri(Chair), Dr. Hassan Abdul Ghani Mohammed, Dr. Haider Abdul Hussein Abd Al-Sada, Dr. Hussam Saleh Abdul Hussein, Dr. Wafa Abbas Sahan, and Assistant Professor Dr. Rusul Aboud Muhyi. The event targeted the faculty members and students of the college.
Understanding the causes of extremism is key to raising awareness of the risks threatening social cohesion, fostering a national culture based on values of love, peace, and respect for others. It also helps empower specialists to continuously review counter-extremism programs and forms of violence, in line with the latest studies in this field.
The symposium aimed to draw the attention of faculty members to the necessity of reviewing and studying Islamic history, approaching its issues with a scientific methodology, in order to counter the misconceptions that seek to associate extremism and terrorism with our noble Islamic faith. It also aimed to raise awareness among students about the importance of combating extremism in all its forms as a precursor to terrorism. Furthermore, it stressed the need to explore ways to prevent the dangers of extremism and terrorism by promoting collective participation in combating hate speech and rejecting both ideologies and practices of extremism.
The symposium included the following key topics:
• The Banners of Terrorism and the Era of Rise: A Comparative Analysis of Islamic Narratives
• The Intellectual Roots of Terrorist Groups in Heritage Books
• The Psychology of Recruitment: Mechanisms for Building Psychological Convictions in Extremist Organizations
• The Language of Discourse in Extremist Islamic Organizations: A Critical Discourse Analysis
• Extremist Islamic Organizations: Their Ideologies, Causes, and Approaches to Confrontation.
