The menace of fanaticism
Sunday, April 15, 2007
THE CUSTODIAN of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is to address the Shura Council today. Undoubtedly, a portion of his speech will touch upon the government's war on terror.
Along similar lines, Prince Naif, the minister of interior, stated last week that the government's battle against extremism would broaden in scope to include those clerics who are found guilty of spreading militant messages among the youth, and directing them toward the path of intolerance and subsequent violence.
Calling it a virus, the minister declared that extremism was still flourishing in the Kingdom in spite of the governments pronounced war on such an ideology. He stated that the people who consider such clerics to be their spiritual guides have to stop doing so and return to their senses.
Continuing on, he said: "The authorities concerned are aware of the situation and will deal with the misguided extremists. The government considers them a greater threat than the actual perpetrators of terrorism.
"Without efficient and positive action from Saudi scholars, clerics, mosque imams, thinkers, newspapers and television channels, we cannot develop and strengthen ideological security."
Following the ministers statements that appeared in the press, the Saudi Council of Ministers two days later exhorted the media and other cultural agencies within the Kingdom to play a pivotal role in the campaign to rid Saudi Arabia of extremist ideologies.
The media and cultural agencies must do more in confronting the phenomenon of terrorism, by rooting out terrorist ideology and addressing social and international factors that promote terrorism, was the statement attributed to them by the official Saudi Press Agency. The Kingdom has recognised the dangers of radical fanaticism to our society and has publicly launched a zero-tolerance drive to rid itself of the threat posed by those spreading the message of takfeer, which labels anyone not following their interpretations of Islam as non-Muslim. That is all well and good.
Although the task on hand is enormous, it is encouraging to residents of this country to witness such public statements by those in authority. The decades 1980s and 1990s witnessed the emergence and flourishing of conservative and extreme ideologies that held the citizens hostage.
Such views were promoted in the name of Islam, and woe to anyone who dared question such an ideology.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has admitted in recent times that some of its members concealed their radical ideologies behind their badges and stamped their authority on everyday matters (something outside their mandate) creating mistrust and hostility within the minds of people. The public dared not challenge their command.
Religious edicts (fatwa) were being issued by self-appointed clerics on everyday matters coupled with threats of hell and damnation, and some radical teachers infiltrated our schools to poison young and impressionable minds. There is no denying that this held our country back when it should have moved forward.
And those who publicly opposed such a conversion were hounded.
Vicious campaigns of slander were mounted against those who promoted moderation. Even some news media personnel were victimized when their writings against fanaticism raised enough ire among radical elements of our society, and had to seek out other professions.
It is time the public joined the campaign against extremism and put a stop to the message of fanaticism.
The message Islam has taught us is to be tolerant with everyone, and that includes those who are not Muslims.
Turning people toward intolerance is not Islamic, and those who preach such messages are misguided to say the least. Arab News
Along similar lines, Prince Naif, the minister of interior, stated last week that the government's battle against extremism would broaden in scope to include those clerics who are found guilty of spreading militant messages among the youth, and directing them toward the path of intolerance and subsequent violence.
Calling it a virus, the minister declared that extremism was still flourishing in the Kingdom in spite of the governments pronounced war on such an ideology. He stated that the people who consider such clerics to be their spiritual guides have to stop doing so and return to their senses.
Continuing on, he said: "The authorities concerned are aware of the situation and will deal with the misguided extremists. The government considers them a greater threat than the actual perpetrators of terrorism.
"Without efficient and positive action from Saudi scholars, clerics, mosque imams, thinkers, newspapers and television channels, we cannot develop and strengthen ideological security."
Following the ministers statements that appeared in the press, the Saudi Council of Ministers two days later exhorted the media and other cultural agencies within the Kingdom to play a pivotal role in the campaign to rid Saudi Arabia of extremist ideologies.
The media and cultural agencies must do more in confronting the phenomenon of terrorism, by rooting out terrorist ideology and addressing social and international factors that promote terrorism, was the statement attributed to them by the official Saudi Press Agency. The Kingdom has recognised the dangers of radical fanaticism to our society and has publicly launched a zero-tolerance drive to rid itself of the threat posed by those spreading the message of takfeer, which labels anyone not following their interpretations of Islam as non-Muslim. That is all well and good.
Although the task on hand is enormous, it is encouraging to residents of this country to witness such public statements by those in authority. The decades 1980s and 1990s witnessed the emergence and flourishing of conservative and extreme ideologies that held the citizens hostage.
Such views were promoted in the name of Islam, and woe to anyone who dared question such an ideology.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has admitted in recent times that some of its members concealed their radical ideologies behind their badges and stamped their authority on everyday matters (something outside their mandate) creating mistrust and hostility within the minds of people. The public dared not challenge their command.
Religious edicts (fatwa) were being issued by self-appointed clerics on everyday matters coupled with threats of hell and damnation, and some radical teachers infiltrated our schools to poison young and impressionable minds. There is no denying that this held our country back when it should have moved forward.
And those who publicly opposed such a conversion were hounded.
Vicious campaigns of slander were mounted against those who promoted moderation. Even some news media personnel were victimized when their writings against fanaticism raised enough ire among radical elements of our society, and had to seek out other professions.
It is time the public joined the campaign against extremism and put a stop to the message of fanaticism.
The message Islam has taught us is to be tolerant with everyone, and that includes those who are not Muslims.
Turning people toward intolerance is not Islamic, and those who preach such messages are misguided to say the least. Arab News
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