Fight against terrorism does not mean fight against Islam

The European Union's fight against terrorism isn't a fight against Islam, said Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák - the key message coming from the session of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday. The get-together of EU foreign affairs ministers chiefly revolved around security challenges faced by the EU today, including some broader-context issues such as the situation in the Middle East, Syria and Libya. The gathering was also attended by Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi. The ministers agreed on the necessity of enhanced cooperation, an exchange of intelligence and coordination of statements in the fight against terrorism. The EU especially needs to address the issue of foreign militants and their monitoring after their return from the combat zones in Iraq and Syria with the ultimate aim being to prevent an increase in threat of terrorist acts in Europe. "Our debates were based on a joint realisation that terrorism is a threat for all, that it's not a fight against Islam, because Islam itself dissociates itself from killing innocent people in the name of Allah," said Lajčák.