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Saudi Religious Police Launch Strategic Plan to Combat Extremist Ideology | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat – Director of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice [CPVPV] Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Humain has announced that the CPVPV has begun to implement a strategic plan which incorporates a number of objectives, most notably combating deviant extremist and hard-line ideology.

This came during the CPVPV’s fifth meeting of branch directors held in the city of Khobar, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province on Saturday. This meeting was launched by Prince Jalawi Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Musaed, deputy governor of the Eastern Province. This meeting of CPVPV branch directors focused upon the issue of intellectual and ideological security, with six working papers based upon intellectual and ideological security being discussed. During his keynote speech, Prince Jalawi Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Musaed stressed the important role being played by the CPVPV with regards to combating extremist ideology.

Following this meeting, Dr. al-Humain confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “the CPVPV as a government apparatus, has played a significant role in combating extremist and deviant ideology” in a reference to combating the Al Qaeda organization and its ideology.

Dr. al-Humain also stressed that “the CPVPV has played a supporting role in the efforts exerted by the Interior Ministry’s security apparatus…and CPVPV members are participating in the Munasaha rehabilitation program for followers of deviant ideology, and the CPVPV has also organized a number of seminars and forums in this regard.”

During this closed CPVPV meeting, CPVPV branch directors examined the course of Saudi Arabia’s war on terror, examining images of terrorist attacks including the Al-Muhayya Compound bombing, the bombing in front of the General Security building in Riyadh, the Riyadh Compound Bombings, and others. This session was held being closed doors with media representatives not being allowed access.

Returning to the CPVPV Director, Sheikh al-Humain was also quoted as saying that “every citizen has a role to play [in combating extremist ideology], and CPVPV members are also citizens of this country and are performing their duty with regards to combating these ideas that are foreign to the religion, society, and the country.”

Dr. al-Humain also revealed that the research studies and reports that were discussed during the CPVPV meeting on Saturday demonstrated the important role being performed by the CPVPV in combating deviant ideology.

He added that the CPVPV is playing this important role as part of its duty towards Saudi society, and protecting the people of Saudi Arabia from deviant ideology. Al-Humain added that the CPVPV was merely supporting the government’s efforts in this regard to protect Saudi Arabia from such extremist and deviant ideology.

He also said that “we believe that one of the most important duties of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is for it to carry out this mission [of promoting virtue and preventing vice], and that is its major responsibility.”

He added “the CPVPV will initiate its strategic plans in collaboration with partners from universities, and other [state] institutions and apparatus that are involved in this field.”

Al-Humain also stressed that the CPVPV has taken the first step towards launching its strategy, and that is via its focus on ideological security. He stressed that there is no time-limit on this strategy, and that every Saudi citizen should do what they can to help protect and preserve the country’s security. He also called on the Saudi Arabian public to show solidarity with the country’s political leadership and security apparatus in fighting against extremist and deviant ideology.

Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abdullah Aal-Sheikh had previous stressed that security is one of the greatest graces bestowed by Allah, saying that this is something that cannot be achieved without the application of Islamic Sharia Law.

The Grand Mufti had also stressed that special attention must be paid to young people in order to protect them from deviant views and ensure and protect their intellectual and ideological security.