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Local Arab Spokesman Calls For United Stand Against Terrorism

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local Arab spokesman says the terrorists are driving a wedge between the United States and countries in the Middle East, and that's exactly what they want.

Terrorism has become more sophisticated in the past 15 years, and terrorist leaders have become skilled at finding ways to promote hatred in the name of Islam

"They want a war between Islam and Christianity or Islam and the West. That's exactly what the terrorists are doing the things in Paris. That's why they did 9/11," said Marwan Kreidie, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Arab-American Development Corporation.

Kreidie says suicide bombings and terror attacks have caused many Americans to paint all followers of Islam with the same broad brush.

"It's a horrible thing but it works. And it does cause fear," Kreidie said. "That's what terrorism is all about, right? Causing fear and panic to your intended target."

He hopes the U.S. and nations from the Middle East can sit down together and figure out a way to eradicate the extremists. He says in order to make progress, the U.S. and its allies need to sit down with nations like Iran and Turkey to come up with a plan to combat Islamic extremists.

"We have to make some kind of arrangement to solve the Syrian crisis and then destroy and isolate ISIS," he said.

He says the terrorists have hijacked Islam in an effort to promote their hateful agenda.

"We have to say quite loudly that this is not a war on Islam... that Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, non believers, are all together against terrorism, whatever shape it comes in."

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