Commentary: Time for West to abandon pride, prejudice in fighting terrorism

In an era when terrorism is posing a serious challenge to world peace and development, it is time for the West to abandon its pride and prejudice to further consolidate global efforts to uproot the menace.

From the Charlie Hebdo attack to the Paris terror attacks, the past year witnessed a rising trend of terror attacks targeting Western countries.

For too long, some Western countries look at other countries from the so-called "moral high ground." Under the guise of "democracy" and "freedom," the Western countries led by the United States have often interfered in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Western pride is also reflected in its relentless attempts to transform the Islamic world. The United States has proposed a "Great Middle East Initiative," which aimed to aid 22 countries in the region together with the European Union and to help them carry out reform in politics, economy, culture and society.

Such interference has caused political inefficiency and social instability in the Middle East, which provoked anti-Western sentiments and nurtured the rapid growth of extremist groups in the region.

Western military involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria has actually turned these countries into breeding grounds for terrorism.

Besides, Washington's biased stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and support for dictatorial rule in some countries have stimulated anti-American sentiments in the region, one of the main motives behind acts of terror.

Secondly, the Western countries usually adopt a double-standard anti-terror policy, which has impeded global anti-terrorism efforts.

The Western countries treat terrorism with hypocrisy. They call it terrorism when it hits them, but label it as a revolution, a show of democracy or human rights issues when it hits countries ideologically inconsistent with them, as they view the fight against terrorism as a means to realize their strategy and interests.

The recent enactment of an anti-terrorism law by China drew criticism from the West, which expressed "serious concerns" that it would do more harm than good against the threat of terrorism.

The U.S. criticism against China's anti-terrorism legislation is yet another case of Washington's application of double standards in dealing with issues of terrorism.

The Western countries' pride and prejudice -- claim of moral high ground and double standards in their anti-terror policy -- have greatly hindered anti-terror efforts and could leave negative impacts that are far more terrible than terrorism itself.

"Terrorism knows no borders. There is no distinction between good and bad terrorism. And there should be no double standards in fighting terrorism," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his speech at the Arab League during his just-concluded visit to the Middle East.

Terror is terror. Wherever it occurs, in whatever form or out of whatever reason, the international community should take a clear stance and work together to fight it.

President Xi has called for "a comprehensive strategy that addresses both symptoms and root causes" in the fight against terrorism.

Amid a tidal wave of terror attacks worldwide, it is high time for nations, particularly the Western countries, to fight terrorism at source by eliminating its roots in conflict or poverty, enhancing social integration and promoting inter-civilization dialogue. Endi