Ilkley Summer Festival 2007
Peace expert defended over Wharfe MP's criticism
THE organiser of public seminars in Ilkley has leapt to the defence of a peace expert whose views have been attacked by a Wharfedale MP.
Tory MP Philip Davies (Menston and Burley-in-Wharfedale) labelled Bradford University Peace Studies Professor Paul Rogers as as complacent and totally out of touch' for saying terrorism was not the biggest threat facing the UK.
His attack came after Bradford University sent out information inviting the public to attend a debate on Exploring Global Solutions to Global Threats. The debate will centre on sustainability issues and how this could provide answers to threats facing the planet.
In a statement, Prof Rogers said: "What is required is a security outlook that recognises that the major issues facing us include climate change, resource conflict and the widening rich-poor divide. Terrorism is not the greatest threat to international security and failure to recognise that is short-sighted and dangerous."
But Mr Davies said the comments were dangerous, complacent and totally out of touch'.
He added: "How anyone can claim that terrorism is not the biggest security threat facing the world is beyond me. I do not want to be offensive to him but more time spent in the real world and less time in an ivory tower would do him some good."
Similar seminars have been organised and run at Ilkley's Christchurch, on The Grove, and have previously attracted other academic speakers from Bradford University's Peace Studies Department as well as other organisations.
One of the organisers, Ilkley journalist Supriyo Chaterjee, took issue with Mr Davies's comments.
He said: "The Education for Global Justice public seminars in Ilkley explore some of the issues that Professor Paul Rogers has highlighted.
"For most people on the planet, the danger of losing their lives and livelihood is more likely to come from poverty, disease, extreme weather conditions such as the recent cyclone in Bangladesh in which some 10,000 people are said to have died, lack of human rights and internal conflicts.
"Professor Rogers is right to highlight these as the major issues of our times without denying the danger of terrorism, whether practised by fanatics or sometimes the state, and in doing so he is no more guilty of ivory tower myopia than Mr Philip Davies is of being blinded by the Westminster bubble."
Professor Rogers , who is also due to give the Edwin Barlow Memorial Lecture on prospects of peace internationally to the Horsforth-based Forum 2000 group on Wednesday at the Grove Centre, New Street (10.30am), also defended his position. He said: "Mr Davies is obviously welcome to his views and I appreciate his right to hold a different one.
"But we have got to stand back and look at the wider issue.
"It is not that we are not fully aware of the problem of terrorism but if you say it is the biggest problem facing us in the long term, I would disagree.
"The main problems are climate change and the fact that we live in a divided world."
8:39am Thursday 22nd November 2007
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