Youth should be taught the right meaning of Islam

Why did this terrible thing happen? How could it have happened? These were the questions asked in the aftermath of the most recent Riyadh bombings. The questioner continued by asking why these terrorists can't be stopped. And hardly were the words out of his mouth when the BBC from London phoned me and asked once again why this had happened.

What had led to the bombing which killed and injured – to say nothing of traumatising and psychologically scarring - dozens of people?

Many "whys" were expressed and then from the "whys", we moved to the "hows". How can future attacks be prevented? How can our young men be protected from being brainwashed into committing such terrible and such un-Islamic deeds? How can we, as a nation, stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and, in the loudest possible voice, say "no to terror" and "no to terrorists". These are serious questions that must be answered honestly.

The answers are bound to upset some and anger others. But this must not deter us from seeking answers; the time has come to wake up and accept the danger that we have all had a share, no matter how small, in creating.

Stringent measures

The time for heads in the sand has gone. The Saudi government has taken stringent security measures to fight this menace. We must not allow ourselves to think that everything must be done by the government, that problems can only be dealt with by the authorities.

Each and every citizen of Saudi Arabia - indeed, each and every resident - is responsible for the Kingdom's security and stability.

In a recent BBC interview, I noted that for years we prided ourselves on being a country with some of the lowest crime rates in the world.

There was almost no violent crime – no armed robberies, no kidnappings and virtually no cold-blooded murders.

Yes, there were feuds in which people killed but they were family affairs or crimes of passion.

Today, unfortunately, many outsiders view us as a violent society – something that we definitely are not. This is the sad truth because of the behaviour of a minuscule minority who have taken it upon themselves to instil terror.

In addition to preventive security measures, then, what else can we do?

The answer is to keep a close watch on our children; know where they are, what they are doing and who they are spending their time with. In short, we must monitor them at all times.

Remember: those who carried out these hideous crimes were young people. Their minds were controlled by people who had convinced them that the wrong committed was right.

It is important for parents, especially fathers, to have a strong relationship with their sons.

Fathers and sons should spend time together regularly, discuss all manner of subjects and share hobbies and interests. Unfortunately I don't see this happening very often at any level of Saudi society. Young people are often left alone to fend for themselves.

It is only natural that when they have nothing to do, they become bored, frustrated and anxious.

Without good role models, they are attracted to and distracted by the first thing that comes along. Like wet clay, they are easily moulded into undesirable shapes.

This is what we as a society must put an end to. As parents, we are the first line of defence. We must keep our youngsters profitably occupied. We must sit and talk with them. And I mean a real dialogue rather than the young simply listening to a monologue by the old.

Then the wet clay can be moulded into desirable shapes.

I would strongly suggest that Seerat Al-Nabawiya be read and discussed. Many years ago Dr. Mohammed Abdo Yamani, the former Minister of Information wrote a book – Hubbu Rasool – Allimoo Awladakum.

Instill noble qualities

I believe by teaching our young people the real Islamic spirit as illustrated in the life of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and which focused on love, compassion, mercy, understanding and tolerance, we will instill these noble qualities into our young people.

These are qualities that will make them humane and keep them away from guns, bombs and unacceptable influences.

May Allah guide our youth and protect this holy land from harm – Amen.

The writer is the editor-in-chief of Arab News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia