The best way to fight terrorism, which is perpetrated by mindless people, is to raise public awareness about its evils and its threat to the public safety and security of a nation. Terrorist acts cannot be justified because they result in the killing of innocent people, and they damage property and hinder development and progress. Often, terrorists distort the meanings of religious texts to justify their heartless crimes, and to lure people, who are not aware of the movement's purpose, to join them. The media, scholars and intellectuals, who are knowledgeable about such distortions, should help in the protracted fight against terrorism. With their good grasp of current events and general knowledge, they can help raise public awareness about the dangers of terrorism. Literature is an effective way to raise public awareness and correct the wrong impressions and messages which terrorists transmit to the public. Literature, which reaches the heart and soul of people, can be an effective tool in helping the public realize that terrorism serves the insidious goals of deviant groups and not the interests of citizens. This is the mission of the Conference of Literature against Terrorism which opened in Riyadh on Tuesday. It seeks to educate people so that terrorists cannot manipulate them with deviant ideas and deeds. __
