Roots of terror
There is an urgent need for all policy-makers to try to create a new paradigm, a new mindset that strives towards an understanding of what drives Islamists to convert to religious terrorism. It is time to learn from past experiences around the world: from South Africa's turbulent past, where Nelson Mandela was once considered a terrorist and later went on to become a legendary figure in contemporary history; from the Middle East, where Menachem Begin and Yasser Arafat were both leaders of terrorist groups and then received the Nobel Prize for peace; and engage with today's enemies such as the Taleban, Hamas and Iran. Only then will there be a chance to win the war on terror and fanaticism.
DR MUNJED FARID AL QUTOB
Tela al Ali
Amman, Jordan