National dialogue on extremism launched

The Riyadh-based King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND) launched on Saturday the second phase of the 10th national dialogue on “Extremism and its effects on national unity” in the Najran region.
In a statement released on Friday, KACND’s Trustees Chairman, Abdullah Al-Mutlaq, said the center will also hold seminars associated with the forums in literary clubs and universities with the participation of the Trustees’ board members.
According to the statement, the events will take place in Asir, Jazan, Baha and Makkah successively, as part of the center’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of dialogue in Saudi society on the most important issues in the Kingdom.
These national dialogues and seminars aim to diagnose the root cause of extremism and study how to deal with it through a public and national discussion. Sheikh Al-Mutlaq, who is also member of the Senior Saudi Scholars council, explained that the outcome of the first and second phases would enable the KACND officials to have a clear national vision of the growing phenomenon of extremism and terrorism through the sociocultural scene in Saudi Arabia and the world.
The dialogue will implicate various scholars, intellectuals and others involved in public affairs to try to grasp the phenomenon of extremism. According to Al-Mutlaq, these meetings will help social organizations from various sectors and ideologies to interact on the issue and come up with results that will help fend off intolerance and extremism from the country.
“The program to address the problem of extremism is part of the ongoing efforts of the KACND to achieve its lofty goals,” said Faisal Muammar, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees and KACND secretary general.



This dedicated issue of national unity comes within the framework of the Islamic faith and deepens it through purposeful intellectual dialogue, Muammar added. It will also contribute to the constitution of a proper Islamic discourse based on moderation inside and outside the Kingdom through dialogue.