Minister of Interior Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz vowed that those who quit their destructive thought will have their full rights preserved. Prince Naif also said that if they let go of their deviation, the government will help them reintegrate themselves into the society. Prince Naif's comments came in an interview with the Arabic daily Al-Jazirah after a meeting he had with religious figures on Thursday. The interview was published on Saturday. “Like any human society, we have our faults and shortcomings, and that's human nature,” said the Prince, “but we should be honest with ourselves and address these faults with honesty and sincerity, and not with defamation and malice.” The Minister of Interior said the ministry had worked out a comprehensive media strategy that will be handed to the Ministry of Culture and Information soon. He said that the strategy concentrates on ideological security, adding that the strategy will be carried out within the Kingdom's media policy. He regretted that some elements of the media strategy were not carried out properly although they had been carefully worked out. Prince Naif said in their arguments and writings some writers exceed the principles and touch them in one way or another while some others magnify them in a way to satisfy their ulterior motives. Citing an example he pointed out that some of them call for the introduction of civil system forgetting that our country has been founded on the Islamic Religion and is governed by the Islamic Shariah. Prince Naif stressed the importance of ideological security in the protection of the country's achievements and gains. He called for the confrontation of ideological war with patience, wisdom, knowledge and strong faith. He also underlined the due attention given to accelerating the trials of terrorism suspects and those involved in security cases. “We are waiting for the necessary procedures that the Ministry of Justice will take for their trials,” said Prince Naif. The Prince said the Ministry of Interior is making all efforts to repatriate the few remaining Saudi detainees in the US-run prison in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba. He also referred to the great care the government is giving to the detainees' families, pointing that so far the government has spent on them about SR170 million. He reiterated that the current circumstances necessitate unified efforts in order to defend the Faith and the country, and support the leaders' efforts in maintaining unity and progress. “Being the cradle of Islam, the Kingdom should impact others but not be impacted negatively by them, because we are following the right path which finds its roots in the Holy Qur'an and Prophet's Traditions,” said Prince Naif. He called upon scholars, preachers and intellectuals to shoulder their responsibilities and fulfill their obligations towards their country and people, as defined in the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunna. He urged deviants to repent and seek God's forgiveness in order to be able to restore their positions in the society and lead normal lives. He added that citizenship stipulates understanding the rights and responsibilities one has as a member of the society. Prince Naif also reaffirmed the importance of ideological security describing it as a fundamental need for the protection of the country's accomplishments. He stressed the role that educational and professional institutions should play in working and molding a well defined ideological strategy, based on our Faith and heritage, to preserve the country's unity and development. Prince Naif also stressed the importance of facing the ideological war which he described as even more threatening than real war. “In confronting this ideological war, we should first depend on Almighty Allah, then with intellectual potentials,” said Prince Naif. “It is for all to understand that there are untouchable principles that must be defined in our (educational) curricula and advocated in the media.” Prince Naif described those who overlook these principles as ignorant, because they allowed themselves to be overwhelmed by foreign thoughts. He stressed that there is no legislation that regulates and organizes peoples' lives in all of their minute details but Islam. Prince Naif said that the country's security is the responsibility of every citizen, adding that this is why security officers who err or compromise their responsibilities are dealt with severely. “Some of them were even punished according to Shariah,” said the Prince. He said that women in the Kingdom enjoy and maintain full rights, and underlined their huge responsibilities towards their families and their country. “We don't need to have our women go through miserable experiences such as broken and disintegrated families,” said Prince Naif. “We take pride in our highly qualified women, who are contributing to the development and progress of our beloved country in the areas of their expertise.” __
