A/HRC/33/28 officials, law enforcement and communities. Ms. Farooq argued that a paradigm shift may be required in countries that had historically focused their efforts on security measures rather than on diversion programmes or other crime prevention programmes. 26. The moderator asked the fourth panellist, Mr. Abbadi, to discuss the role that local and religious leaders could play in efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism and the initiatives that were being taken or could be envisaged in order to foster tolerance and better understanding among all religions, beliefs and cultures. 27. Mr. Abbadi explained that the texts of every religion had to be interpreted in order for the religion to be placed meaningfully in the modern world context. He stressed the importance of capacity-building and of understanding the issues faced by individuals in contemporary society, including youth. 28. Mr. Abbadi noted that Morocco had developed training material to help scholars understand how to reach modern audiences. Scholars trained to interpret religious texts in a contemporary manner could promote non-violence and human rights by adopting a contextualized approach to religious teaching. Mr. Abbadi noted that the preservation of life was one of the main requirements of Islam. Scholars trained to understand the spirit and finalities of religious texts could implement them through concrete actions in favour of human rights. Mr. Abbadi explained that he had worked with children and scholars to promote non-violence and to build their capacity in this regard. 29. In conclusion, Mr. Abbadi warned that violent extremists stood ready to intervene with an ideology of fear and violence if people felt that their dreams or aspirations were not being met. Religious and local leaders had an important role to play in countering that dangerous narrative. 30. After the first round of statements by the panellists, the moderator highlighted the need for States to recognize that preventing and countering violent extremism could lead to human rights violations. She asked the panellists to discuss further how preventing and countering violent extremism could best be reconciled with human rights obligations. Ms. Ghanea agreed that preventing and countering violent extremism opened up a range of actions that could violate human rights. Yet, that risk was present in many other policy measures and the health of civil society was a good indicator of whether measures to prevent and counter violent extremism were violating human rights. To play that role, religious and social organizations had to be free to operate without discrimination. Mr. Garatea highlighted the need for education and training to accompany programmes aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism. This was essential to ensure that related measures were effective while protecting and fulfilling human rights. 31. Regarding the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, the moderator acknowledged that violent extremism took a myriad country-specific forms. She asked Ms. Farooq and Mr. Abbadi to discuss steps a State should take when developing for the first time a programme to prevent or counter violent extremism. Ms. Farooq pointed out that some violent extremist groups were sending as many as 40,000 tweets per day. Any direct response on behalf of the State was likely to pale in comparison. Efforts had to focus on community awareness, including community education and civil society collaboration, and it was the State’s role to foster such an environment. Research had shown that civil society was already doing a lot in many regions and States did not need to reinvent the wheel but merely bolster those efforts. According to Mr. Abbadi, it was important that States consult human rights organizations when developing programmes to prevent and counter violent extremism. They should also bring in specialized lawyers to frame measures aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism in order to ensure compliance with international law. Finally, States had to develop expertise in communication to create a credible alternative to the narrative of violent extremists. 7