UNITED NATIONS, Feb 4: United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council have deplored the apparent burning alive of a Jordanian pilot by the ISIS, with the UN chief calling on all governments to strengthen their efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism and extremism.
In a statement, Ban said Mo’az Al Kassasbeh was killed by a “terrorist organisation with no regard for human life.”
Denouncing the “appalling act,” Ban urged all governments to “strengthen their efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism and extremism within the bounds of their human rights obligations.”
The ISIS that has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria released a 22-minute video purporting to show the murder of the Jordanian Royal Air Force pilot by burning him alive.
The condemnation from the UN was the second in as many days, coming on the heels of Saturday’s beheading of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, who was killed by the Islamic State, despite the Council’s demand for his immediate release.
The powerful 15-nation Council strongly condemned the “heinous and cowardly act,” saying the crime once again demonstrates the brutality of ISIS, which is responsible for thousands of crimes and abuses against people from all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities, and without regard to any basic value of humanity.
The members of the Security Council stressed that those responsible for the killing shall be held accountable for the crime and cowardly act.
They demanded the “immediate, safe and unconditional” release of all those who are kept hostage by ISIS, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals and groups associated with Al-Qaeda.
The Council stressed that ISIS must be “defeated” and the “intolerance, violence and hatred” it espouses must be stamped out.
“The members of the Council further emphasized that such continued acts of barbarism perpetrated by ISIS do not intimidate them but rather stiffen their resolve that there has to be a common effort amongst Governments and institutions,” including those in the region most affected, to counter ISIS and Al-Nusra Front.
The Council stressed that the crime by ISIS demonstrates that terrorism is a scourge impacting all of humanity and people from all regions and religions.
ISIS is included on the Al-Qaeda Sanctions List of the UN and is subject to an asset freeze and arms embargo.
Last week, the terror group released a video depicting the murder of Japanese citizen Haruna Yukawa. (AGENCIES)
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