Riyadh conference and the turning point

Major events spark controversy and speculation even before they happen. The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is a most important project that gained considerable attention and raised many questions.
Some envisioned the plan as a unified military presence despite remarks by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which he confirmed that the alliance would not have forces on the ground. In the press conference he held in December to announce the formation of the alliance, the deputy crown prince stressed that the alliance would operate an operations center in Riyadh and would work on defeating terror militarily, ideologically and through media campaigns.
As expected, some skeptics described the project as a test balloon. These people were seemingly unaware that Saudi policy has always been based on longterm strategies that ultimately achieve the goal.
Saudi Arabia’s ability to form an alliance was made clear during Operation Decisive Storm, which included the intelligence, political and military coordination among 10 countries. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other allied states succeeded in restoring legitimacy in Yemen and liberating the country’s territory. By so doing, the alliance put an end to external interventions in Yemen’s internal affairs.
The alliance, a surprise to many countries and superpowers, showed that while the Kingdom can be patient, it can also take the lead in a war when it deems such action necessary.
The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition appealed to the hearts of all Muslims who feel that some parties are hijacking their religion and using it to justify terrorism and atrocities. Muslims who know that Islam is a religion of peace and harmony felt the need to be proactive in standing unwaveringly against those who mistakenly claim that they are Muslims when in fact they are the real enemies of Islam. Saudi Arabia made the decision as a leader of the Islamic world and has often called for peace and the avoidance of war and conflict.
The Saudi initiative was by no means a Sunni alliance against a Shiite one since the Kingdom never adopted a sectarian policy. The war is against terrorism, no matter what shape the terror cells take.
The real implementation of the alliance, less than three months after its announcement, came in this week’s Riyadh summit of participating countries. Thirty-nine countries participating in the alliance laid the foundations of a strategy and a joint working mechanism in order to confront and defeat terror. This showed the level and kind of commitment these countries have made to the alliance.
It is clear that all alliance operations will be carried out by consensus, under international legitimacy, and will respect the sovereignty of all member states.
The intellectual side which formed itself during the conference is seen as an important factor in countering extreme and radical thought so as to defeat wrong ideas with right ones. There are, of course, journalists who influence public opinion and keep working with new tools in order to reach a larger audience.
The financial team has the main responsibility of combating and eliminating the funding of terror. On the military level, Saudi Arabia announced that it would fund the budget for the establishment of an operations center in Riyadh. The project is thus comprehensive and carefully thought-out on all levels and promises to be a very potent weapon against terrorism.
The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition has given hope to the region that terrorism will be defeated. It would be wrong for Muslims to keep blaming others for their faults or keep seeking solutions from elsewhere. By adopting the conspiracy theory for years, others have filled this void and, as a result, mistakes were made.
A real responsibility falls on our shoulders to stop the deterioration in the Islamic world. History shows us that major results often begin with ambitious dreams. As M.K. Gandhi said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win.”