Dr. Bahaa Helmy Writes: Towards a New Strategy to Confront the Dark Side of Globalization

On 22/10/2017 Towards a New Strategy to Confront the Dark Side of Globalization Globalization has erased the distances between societies and relationships between people worldwide, and has merged the world's population into a single global society through the international information network and social media, with many positive effects on all fields and aspects of life across the world. Its downsides, however, may include worsening unemployment, effects on social classes and on development in developing countries amid sharper competition, and the spread of cultures, diversity and films that may affect the values and principles of our societies, etc. Yet the spread of terrorism and the use of the international information network to deepen hatred and create hostility between civilizations and religions under the banner of freedom of opinion, expression and information is one of the dark sides of globalization, and it requires the sincere, combined efforts of all countries to spread the values of tolerance and humanity by bringing under control the websites that incite violence and terrorism on the international information network. Whereas the Charter of the United Nations provides that we save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, promote social progress, practice tolerance and live together in peace, and employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, etc., what circulates on the internet is the opposite, contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and to the principles agreed upon by the peoples and governments of the world's democracies as civilizational and humanitarian values. We therefore call for a new strategy to restructure the content of the international information network, based on blocking everything that offends or shows contempt for religions, incites discrimination and hatred, promotes a culture of terrorism or encourages drugs or crime, and everything broadcast in violation of values, principles, morals and human rights according to United Nations standards, so as to avoid double standards in theory, instead of the chaos and recklessness we see on the international information network. The billions of dollars spent on wars and on coalitions against terrorism and extremism in Syria or anywhere else in the world, and the time, destruction and displacement of local populations that these wars entail, far exceed the cost of cleansing and restructuring the international information network of such ideas, which would make it possible to contain and confront terrorism. The question arises as to why the United States and the major technology and telecommunications companies insist on not taking effective steps to prevent the spread of evil and incitement on the international information network, in order to protect our children, future generations, the future of this world and humanity itself. Holding an international conference to combat terrorism and setting standards and limits for what is published or circulated on the information network is necessary and unavoidable, and its continued neglect cannot stand; what should be published and circulated is everything useful for spreading science, knowledge, humanity and the noble values of mankind, instead of broadcasting incitement, killing and terrorism, which must be confronted to preserve human rights in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and custom, and what the revealed religions require of us. Why has the world, led by America, not united to fight extremist thought and terrorism on the international information network and in cyberspace as one of the means of combating terrorism, instead of igniting wars and supplying weapons and equipment for killing and destruction, so that everyone works in a closed circle under the slogan of the “war on terror”? We do not seek an ideal society — though that is an inherent right of every human being on earth — but we hope for a humane society, both virtual and real, free of the dark side of globalization that has begun to loom over the global space.