Greens: Don't sacrifice liberty in knee-jerk reaction to terror attacks

Green Party deputy leader Shahrar Ali has expressed his shock at hearing of the “inhumane” terror attacks that took place on Friday 26 June, but warned the government against fast-tracking its data communications bill in response.

Both Dr Ali and the Green Party’s foreign affairs spokesperson Tony Clarke called for nonviolent solutions to terrorism.

Dr Ali said:

How shocking to hear the news of terror attacks in a mosque in Kuwait City, a factory in Lyon and a beach in Sousse, Tunisia. People going about their everyday business suddenly had their worlds brought to an abrupt, inhumane end.

In the aftermath of the massacre, it is natural for our politicians to want to seek immediate solutions, but action requires thought, not haste. Just as the racist Charleston shooter, days earlier, was not representative of a whole community nor are the sick ideologues acting out their evil designs representative of any religion.

We must not sacrifice our liberties with a knee-jerk response to terror attacks.

The government's Prevent strategy is counterproductive on its own terms as it would impede open debate in our schools and universities when it is most needed.

Talk of fast-tracking the government's data communications bill, which would give agencies intrusive powers to intercept data, is not a legitimate response when current anti-terror legislation is already so open to abuse.

In seeking out nonviolent solutions we must take a sober look at our contribution to conflict, strife and resentment around the world. An attempt to understand the causes of the spread of terror, far from justifying unconscionable actions, gives us our best prospect to curtail them in the future.

Mr Clarke said:

All of us are affected as individuals each and every time terror strikes out at the innocent. We feel less secure, we feel angry at the use of extreme violence being perpetrated against people simply going about their everyday lives.

But to defeat the terrorists we have to win the peace, we have to redouble our diplomatic peacekeeping efforts and be prepared to advance our shared understanding of the open wounds in the world often created by governments themselves.

Only by reducing violence and assisting communities to live in peace will we ever be successful in breaking down the real recruitment drivers of terrorism.

The lessons are there for all to see in our recent past in Northern Ireland and in South Africa. We must now apply the same level of proactive peace and reconciliation processes in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Palestine if we want to prevent future terrorist attacks and to protect the innocent.