The Arab Interior Ministers Council held here today its 21st session under the patronage of Tunisia's President Zine Al-Abedine bin Ali. The delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was headed by Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Interior Minister and the Honorary President of the Council.
Addressing the ministers, Prince Naif stressed that security in Arab countries is a great responsibility because of its impact on peoples' lives and on social stability. Nowadays, security has new dimensions and responsibilities dictated by the circumstances, changes, events and consequences of the times in which we live. Prince Naif added that the Arab security responsibility involved the protection of life and the preservation of thoughts not from foreign dangers but from local threats. These threats consist of deviant and extremist thoughts. The extremists are not fearful of killing innocent people, intimidating the peaceful and devastating property.
The Prince emphasized that terrorist violence is one of the most dangerous threats to Arab security. The individuals holding such deviant views are apostates of Islam and they should be killed, as Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) said.
He added that these deviant thoughts should not be confronted by statements of denunciation only, but there should be a continual, comprehensive, effort on the intellectual level to confront such deviant ideas, and comprehensive action within society to maintain security and stability and protect peoples' lives and property.
