The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is developing special programs to counter the threat from Al-Qaeda that it will use child suicide bombers – whom they call “Birds of Paradise” – to carry out terrorist operations in the Kingdom. Dr. Majed Mursal, Adviser to the Minister of Islamic Affairs and Director General of Religious and Intellectual Awareness, said the precautionary measures include special programs devoted to children in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. This will ensure that preachers are brought in to enlighten schoolboys and schoolgirls about the “deviants” and also to acquaint them with the edicts (fatwas) of the religious scholars. Al-Mursal said the ministry's agency for mosques affairs will implement this program strictly to protect the youth, especially the very young, from these “deviant thoughts”. About the threat by a prominent member of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group in Iraq, Al-Sahwat Diyala, to use children, the “Birds of Paradise” (Tuyoor Al-Jannah), in terrorist operations on Saudi territory, he said: “The extremist organizations are using different methods to achieve their diabolical plans. This is a violation of the rights of children and the Islamic Shariah.” He called on families, educational and propagation institutions to protect children against these thoughts, “which have nothing to do with Islam”.
