Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Saudi Arabia: Al Qaeda targets funeral preparation industry for recruitment | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat – Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Al Qaeda organization has targeted youths working in the funeral preparation industry in Saudi Arabia for radicalization and recruitment. Al-Turki also confirmed that the Saudi authorities are carefully monitoring the situation.

This revelation comes at the same time that Riyadh released a list of 47 most wanted terrorist suspects who are Saudi nationals thought to be living abroad, including one Saudi national who is just 18 years old.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour al-Turki also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “we are all aware that the deviant group is seeking to exploit any opportunity. If it was capable of recruiting a 3-year old child it would not hesitate about doing so.”

Al-Turki also added that “one of the targets exploited by the deviant group to recruit new members is the funeral preparation industry…some [Al Qaeda members] push youth to work in this industry so that they can see death and the state of corpses, whilst others attempt to infiltrate funeral preparation companies in order to find vulnerable youth in an attempt to deceive and recruit them to serve the goals of the deviant group.”

Major General al-Turki also confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior is monitoring cases in which Al Qaeda members’ recruited people from within the funeral preparation industry.

The Interior Ministry spokesman also called on everybody to be careful from the deceptive methods used by Al Qaeda to recruit new members and attract sympathizers, he said “what is required from everybody is care and caution over their children, whether they are young or old.”

Al Qaeda continues to recruit new members and attract sympathizers in Saudi Arabia, as revealed by the list of 47 most wanted terrorists issued by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

Major General Mansour al-Turki also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “so long as we continue to monitor these violations, and are aware that there are a number of Saudi Arabians who continue to be deceived by the deviant group and its ideology…this is enough to reveal that we are not doing enough as a society to ensure that our children are immune to this ideology.”

Al-Turki also stressed that Saudi Arabia is pursuing a long-term strategy with regards to dealing with Al Qaeda, which includes the neutralization and elimination of “Al Qaeda ideology.” He added that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz had given assurances in this regard, although he acknowledged that “eliminating this ideology could take some time.”

Major General Mansour al-Turki also confirmed that the Saudi Arabian security apparatus are committed to preventing Al Qaeda members from carrying out any plots, and will continue to pursue them both inside and outside of the country, and that they will do everything in their power to arrest them and free the world from their evil.