Rumors are lethal weapons that lead to discord, trouble and hatred among people.

Rumors are nearly as old as human history, but with the rise of the Internet, they have become ubiquitous.

False rumors are especially troublesome; they impose real damage on individuals and institutions, and they are often used by enemies to destabilize security and distract unity within communities.

A number of Saudi specialists warned of the seriousness of rumors in communities for the serious damage they can do, stressing that the promoters of rumors must be punished with severe sanctions to be deterred. On this regard, Mansour Al-Sumaih, an official in the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, said: “A rumor war is one of the most dangerous modern wars and the worst of all, because it uses invisible and visible methods to transfer false rumors. In addition, rumors are lethal weapons that lead to discord, trouble and hatred among people.”

Sheikh Abdul Majid bin Muhammad Al-Omari, a researcher at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, said that social networking sites are a main cause of the spread of rumors which circulate in the community, particularly with the availability of such modern means in the hands of all people. Al-Omari called on all people to ensure the validity of the news published on websites before participating in their spread and misleading people, stressing that vigilance is required so as not to unintentionally help in achieving the objectives of our enemies.

On the same aspect, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Anzi, a preacher in Riyadh, said: “We should all unite together to eliminate rumor mongering, especially what is published through social communications.” He noted that rumors might be used as a weapon in the psychological media war to cause a panic and fear among people, or corrupt the land.

Moreover, social researcher Tariq Al-Bishr demanded addressing rumors by promoting and publishing the true Islamic approach, of holding awareness lectures to warn against rumors, and following up with young people.

He said: “Rumors may be of military, political, economic or social nature that are intended to cause confusion or chaos to achieve destructive objectives,” confirming that women should be educated in this regard, because they are the most important segment in society in addressing such rumors.

Al-Bishr called for eliminating rumors through launching media campaigns to refute them, and enacting laws that protect our honor and lives with strict application of sanctions against all promoters of false rumors before the outbreak and spread of this malignant disease that destroys communities.

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