Building an International Alliance Against Terrorism

The manifesto below was adopted at the International Conference Against Terror to Mark the Anniversary of 9/11, in Paris organized by Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme, on September 11, 2007.

Malki's Parents Write

The Events of 9th August 2001

International Conferences on Terror

Statement issued in the Wake of the Paris International Conference Against Terrorism Convened by MPCT (Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme) September 11, 2007

Our Assessment

• We, citizens and representatives of associations from civil society in our respective countries, gathered in Paris on September 11, 2007 observed that terrorism which dealt a tragic blow to civilians in the United States of America 6 years ago has continued to jeopardize humanity and claim ever-increasing victims

• Within two years, between 2004 and 2006, the number of terror victims increased by 40%.

• In 2007 successive carnages carried out by terrorists mostly in the barbaric style of "suicide" attacks have left behind a ghastly amount of casualties and suffering.

• Terrorism has been allowed to do harm far too long. It must always be condemned, whoever the perpetrators.

• The world wide growth of terror and particularly of "suicide" type of terrorism is by no means spontaneous. It has been preceded and induced by a wide campaign conducted in favour of a retrograde totalitarian and deathly ideology, Islamism, bent on conquest, overwhelming the individual, fomenting hatred, exhaling "martyrdom" i.e. transforming individuals into offensive weapons.

Our Commitment

• We affirm that the condemnation of terrorism must be absolute, universal and unconditional.

• We insist that acts of terrorism targeting civilians, hostage taking and assassination can never be tantamount to resistance.

• Together we stress that no cause, however just it may be, can justify resorting to "suicide" bombing, terror attacks aimed at civilians, attacks of innocent people, kidnapping and murdering hostages, irrespective of their nationalities.

• We therefore subscribe fully to what Camus once said: "No matter the cause defended it will invariably be dishonoured by a blind massacre of innocent, when the perpetrator knows beforehand that he will attain women and children."

• Notwithstanding our differences and irrespective of our opinions, aspirations and other commitments, we hereby solemnly call together on public opinion to express a categorical rejection of terrorism.

Our Demands

• We urge all national, regional and international bodies as well as NGOS to refrain from bestowing even a semblance of legitimacy on terrorist organizations - that is, such organizations that masterminded, funded or claimed terror attacks targeting civilians.

• We ask them to condemn unconditionally terror attacks targeting civilians[1]

• We further demand that those who mastermind, perpetrate and champion acts of terrorism, together with organizations enlisting candidate and hatching "suicide" attacks be brought to justice and condemned.

• We demand that terrorist crimes come under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

Our Decisions

With a view to pursuing this campaign - the difficulty of which we fully grasp - we decide to constitute ourselves into an International Alliance Against Terrorism. To this end we decide to form a Bureau whose task will be to:

• Maintain contact and debate between citizens and organizations of different countries involved in this endeavour.

• Develop advocacy and popularise the struggles led by terror victims associations in different countries.

• Collect and circulate information on the defence of terror victims, maimed or threatened in all countries.

• Honour the memory of terror victims.

• Promote educational programs aimed at analysing, exposing and curbing the spread of terrorists’ ideology.

• Advertise our fight, seeking comprehension and support, building and strengthening the International Alliance Against Terrorism in an ever increasing number of countries

• Bring pressure on national, regional and international authorities urging them not to give in to terrorist blackmail

• Possibly turn to justice in order to help contain the wave of criminal ideas condoning terrorism[2]

• Prepare for the next International Conference to be held no later than 2009 that will assess the progress of our action.

Huguette Chomski Magnis, President of Mouvement Pour la Paix et Contre le Terrorisme [mpctasso@aol.com] (France)

Cherifa Kheddar, President of Djazairouna [djazairouna2004@yahoo.fr] (Algeria)

Gabriel Moris, Vice-President of Asociacion Victimas del Terrorismo [gmoris@avt.org] (Spain)

Arnold Roth, Chairman of The Malki Foundation [arnold.roth@kerenmalki.org] (Israel)

Philip Spencer, Representative of The Euston Manifesto [pspencer78@yahoo.co.uk] (Great-Britain)

Michael Gallagher, Chairman of Omagh Support and Self-Help Group (Campaigning for the Human Rights of Victims of Terrorism [mosshg@hotmail.com] (Northern Ireland)

October 19, 2007