Naif Arab University for Security Sciences

The Social Sciences College at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences Tuesday started a two-day forum on the “University’s role in preventing terrorism,” within the framework of its 2017 work program, in cooperation with the League of Islamic Universities.

The event was attended by President of the League of Islamic Universities, member of the Council of Senior Scholars and Royal Court adviser Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki, President of the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences Jamaan Rashid bin Ragosh and a number of Arab and Islamic university presidents.

The event was attended by 500 men and women specialists in ministries of interior and higher education, at universities, organizations concerned with intellectual security and related agencies from 30 countries — Jordan, the UAE, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Canada, UK, France, Australia, Chad, Uganda, Malaysia, Russia, Indonesia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Brunei, Niger — as well as relevant international organizations.

The dean of the College of Social Sciences, Professor Khalid Ibrahim Al-Kurdi, stressed that terrorism poses a security, intellectual and political challenge to the Arab and Islamic world and beyond.

“Universities can play a leading role in confronting terrorism and extremism by spreading the values of tolerance, consensus and constructive communication through their curricula and conferences, and by forming the students intellectually, in addition to immunizing them against terrorism and intellectual extremism,” Al-Kurdi said.

Secretary General of the League of Islamic Universities Jafar Abdul Salam stressed the league’s interest in combating terrorism, a phenomenon that is currently worrying the entire world, and in discussing its real reasons, as well as finding effective solutions to eliminate it.

Bin Ragosh said that holding this forum is part of the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to combat terrorism. The Kingdom is making sustained efforts to combat terrorism at global level through constructive international cooperation with various security and academic bodies around the world, he said.

Al-Turki stressed that the experts attending the forum will benefit from the pioneering experience of Saudi Arabia and Naif University in countering terrorism and intellectual extremism, adding that “the Kingdom, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince is exerting successful efforts — based on the Qur’an and Sunnah — to counter terrorism and fight extremism, conflict and sectarianism.”

He also stressed that “the real cause of terrorism is that many Muslims veered from the real teachings of Islam.”

He called on institutions of higher education to stress this to students and to focus on making Muslims return to their true religion.