The College of Education for Pure Sciences, in cooperation with the Holy Abbasid Shrine and the Iraqi Center for Documenting Crimes of Extremism, held a dialogue seminar entitled "The Role of Universities in Combating Violent Extremism," coinciding with the International Day for Countering Violent Extremism.
The seminar, presented by Professor Dr. Qais Nasser Rahi, Advisor to the Iraqi Center for Documenting Crimes of Extremism; Dr. Raed Abis Mutlaq Al-Hasnawi, Professor at the University of Basra and Advisor to the Iraqi Center for Documenting Crimes of Extremism; and Professor Dr. Tahseen Fadhil Abbas, UNESCO Chair for Interreligious Dialogue at the University of Kufa, included a discussion of the concept of extremism, which begins with an idea, then a belief, then justification, and finally violent extremism leading to terrorism. The seminar also clarified political extremism during the Ba'athist regime era in Iraq and religious extremism with terrorist groups after 2003. The seminar concluded with a set of recommendations, most importantly, activating the role of universities in disseminating the concepts of tolerance and preventing extremism in all its forms. A photo exhibition documenting crimes of extremism, including images of victims and terrorist operations, accompanied the seminar
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