http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article36664.ece
Media urged to play vital role in fight against terror By YOUSUF MUHAMMAD | ARAB NEWS Published: Mar 30, 2010 00:10 Updated: Mar 30, 2010 00:15 MADINAH: Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif has urged the Saudi media to play a vital role in the Kingdom's fight against terrorism and extremism. Answering questions of delegates after opening a conference on terrorism at the Islamic University here on Sunday, Prince Naif also urged Saudi mothers to monitor their children and correct them when they deviate from the right path. "Our media should move quickly and strongly to confront the challenges responsibly," said the minister while criticizing the media for focusing on nonbeneficial silly issues. Prince Naif, however, welcomed constructive criticism from the press based on facts. He urged parents and teachers to protect children from being enticed by forces of evil that spread extremism and violence. Prince Naif said the rehab program for militants has achieved good results. "This program has won the admiration of the security authorities in various countries. We have prepared a draft of the intellectual security strategy and submitted it to the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. This is a scientific work that will benefit those who are working in rehabilitation programs," he said. Prince Naif opened the dialogue with students of the university by renewing a call for drying up the sources of terrorism, saying: "If all people do not work to dry up the sources of terrorism, it will continue." He said Saudi security forces had foiled more than 200 terrorist attacks in the Kingdom. "We are still facing terrorism. We are working day and night to detect and prevent terrorist acts," he said. Speaking at the conference, Princess Adilah bint Abdullah, daughter of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, described terrorism as a complicated phenomenon. "Family violence acts as a breeding ground for terrorists," the princess said quoting a study. "Violence against children will force them to run away on to the streets. These children then become criminals and terrorists. This is one of the dangerous consequences of domestic violence," she pointed out. He emphasized the importance of intellectual security to protect citizens from dangerous and deviant thoughts and ideas. "Intellectual security is no less important than public security, but it might be more important as it is the engine that moves human beings and we cannot ignore latest developments in our society. The Islamic world has a responsibility to reject ideas that are alien to Islam," he explained. The Kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said that the nation of Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is the nation of moderation and justice, adding that Islamic teachings are based on moderation.
