Hawali, conducted secret mediations. The cases of the surrender of the extremists received a good coverage from the media and the repenters appeared at the television channel giving the impression that escaping from the terrorism organization is a common phenomenon and not a rare case. In addition to this, the Saudi authorities have shown mercy and tolerance with the repented militants and no one of the imprisoned militants was subject to torture or to insult. The Saudi police has never tortured the extremist members of al-Qaeda who were arrested and periodical meetings and interviews were held with the prisoners who praised treatment at the prisons. In addition to this the Saudi government has formulated an educational and rehabilitation program for extremist prisoners as a way of uprooting extremism and enabling them to live normally in the society. This strategy has put an end to joining of the youth with al-Qaeda and easing extremism among its prisoners. The second element was smart campaign to show that the extremists target their Muslim brothers and not merely the west. The Saudi government used all possible means including official religious authorities and the education system to convey one message which says that the extremists are deviants and they work to spread chaos and blood-shedding. In the last years, the Saudi strategy for fighting terrorism was linked to an educational program. The suspicions that had been raised by some analysts in the west on this strategy, had proved that their views in this regard, were absolutely wrong. It is high time to look carefully at Saudi Arabia and learn from it useful lessons in fighting al-Qaeda and terrorism. Before anything else, we should learn how to restrain ourselves and take new and effective means for fighting terrorism."
