Arabic Literature Department of Cultural Science Universitas Sebelas Maret (FIB UNS) Surakarta together with Middle East Learning Center of Ain Shmas University, Cairo, Egypt conducted International Conference on Middle East and Southeast Asia (ICoMS) 2016. The international conference which was held on October 26-27, 2016 focused on the theme “Actualizing the Values of Humanism to Avoid the Global Terrorism”. The invited speakers of this conference are The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir, Gamal Shakra (Ain Shams University, Egypt), Ibrahim Zein (IIUM Malaysia), Azyumardi Azra (UIN Jakarta), Hasyim Muzaddi (Presidential Advisory Council of Indonesua), Sangidu (Universitas Gadjah Mada), and Isdtadiyantha (UNS Surakarta).

The conference highlighted terrorism as a phenomenon that is currently getting public attention. Terrorism is considered as a dangerous monster which can threaten the safety, security and world civilization. Global terrorism movement causes prolong misery, the loss of nation civilization and increased casualties over time, including widows and orphans. According to Gamal Shakra, now, terrorism has rapidly expanded and touched almost all countries in both western and east side of world. Many terrorism acts such as murder, destruction and kidnapping are done under the guise of certain religious doctrine. This phenomenon poses new challenges to world scholars to thoroughly discuss about terrorism from its initial appearance, the contributing factors, as well as how to anticipate and to prevent. Furthermore, Gamal Shakra also explained that radicalism, backwardness and poverty are also some of the factors that can lead to terrorism.

Prevent Global Terrorism with Humanity

Implementing the human values or humanity can be one of the alternatives to prevent and to anticipate the movement dissemination of global terrorism. If the society has integrated the human values, despite their religion and faith, they are going to have an idea that terrorism is a conflicting movement to the human values and has to be opposed. Gamal Shakra also urged that through this conference, the intellectuals, especially the students have to be able to give an understanding to the society that terrorism is a movement that has absolutely nothing to do with religion or a particular religious text. Terrorism is something that must be anticipated because it threatens the benefits of the people worldwide.

In this conference, there was also MoU signing between Universitas Sebelas Maret and Ain Sham University, Egypt as a form commitment to work together. UNS Rector, Ravik Karsidi, in his speech, gave a profuse appreciation to the ICoMS 2016 and hoped that this international conference can be annually held. [*] (anggiayu.red.uns.ac.id)