BRATISLAVA, Slovakia-- European Parliament Speaker Martin Shultz says the war against world terrorism is fought by all faiths and should not be regarded as a clash between different civilizations. Speaking to Rudaw on the sidelines of EU top meeting in the Slovakian capital, Shultz said Muslim communities around the world are the "greatest victims" of terror and have "actively" taken part in the global war against Islamic Sate insurgency. "We need to prevent this issue from becoming a clash of civilizations and faiths as we see more and more people try to label it as such," Shultz said, referring to the international coalition efforts against the ISIS. "This is a war against radicalism even within the Western civilization. ISIS strategy is firstly to target moderate Muslims," he added. Some 20 nations across the world have joined the US-led coalition against ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq that include among others Morocco, Jordan, Australia, Saudi Arabia and France. Shultz said the EU has special programs to help radicalized young people in Europe to abandon terror groups and reintegrate with their communities. "The EU will work to prevent the flow of money and arms to the so-called Islamic State and also to confront radicalization of the young in Europe," he said. Some 10,000 foreign fighters are believed to have joined the ISIS ranks in Syria and Iraq since 2014 although many have died in the war or returned to their home countries.
