THE Interior Ministry recently announced the arrest of 149 terrorists who apparently were planning a number of operations including the assassination of government officials and members of the media. The arrest of these outlaws is yet another achievement of the courageous Saudi security men who have triumphed in saving our country from a number of terrorist attacks, the aim of which is to engulf this nation in endless chaos. However, the question we must ask is: Will the mission of combating terrorism remain the responsibility of the Interior Ministry alone, while the rest of the society from a distance watches our security men fighting this war? Shouldn't we all stand shoulder to shoulder with these brave men in order to put a stop to this terrorist activity. Isn't it about time we used intellectual means in addition to security weapons to rid ourselves of the secret incubators which breed terrorists? Or, are we going to sit and wait – as we have been doing – until more of our youth end up in the trap of these suspect organizations, leaving the task of protecting us to the Ministry of Interior alone? No doubt, we have been able to achieve a certain degree of success in the strengthening of the values of tolerance, dialogue and the rejection of the accusation of apostasy. But, what we actually need today is to go beyond that to eradicate from our society the evil of terror, a task which would not be possible without engaging in a comprehensive national enlightenment movement in which every establishment, particularly the Ministries of Education and Culture, participate effectively. If we agree that Al-Qaeda is still active and able to recruit young men and women by brainwashing them then we definitely need to rethink our terror-combat strategies, especially when the accomplishments achieved so far in fighting terror can only be claimed by the security forces. The Ministry of Education must place this issue at the top of its list of priorities, and its programs should be supported by everyone. The shouting and screaming which usually accompanies every reformist initiative in the educational establishment, and the depiction of it as posing a serious threat to Islam, will not serve our purpose. The process of education is not simply a series of ideological calculations. Moreover, the Internet is something that should not be ignored, especially it is replete with websites that contain provocative language aimed at officials, journalists and some government ministries. Despite the difference between criticism and provocation, many still insist on regarding this Internet provocation as only a matter of personal expression which will not cause any real harm as long as those involved do not take part in terrorist activities, as if provocation is not a form of terrorism, or as if intellectual terrorism is some kind of tourist activity. It's also very sad that some of our Islamic scholars who have the power to influence, still support, or even participate in the activities of these websites, especially when extremists have succeeded in changing the facts and regard Internet provocation as a modern way of preventing vice! Frankly, I cannot understand how a scholar can condemn ten or a hundred extremists who were captured by the security forces while at the same time encourages millions of people to be provocative on the Internet. Finally, let me say frankly that the capturing of terrorists should be coupled with limiting provocative rhetoric since the terrorist mentality is the product of public agitation.
