SCIA deputy president rejects extremism, terrorism

Manama, May 9 (BNA): Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa has affirmed that extremism and terrorism are odd to our authentic culture, and are among the major problems that have plagued our societies nowadays. He explained that radicalism, extremism and terrorism had spread because of misexploitation of religion, decline of the wise scientific movement and the rise of political movements which mobilised youth using ostensibly religious slogans that are intended to serve narrow factional interests, stressing that extremism is a "hollow, empty bubble that is not based on genuine thought". In an interview with the Egyptian "Minbar al-Islam" Magazine, published recently, he called for the need to assess the main sources of culture, namely education and media, increase awareness-raising campaigns using all available means and more cooperation among Islamic scholars. He said the Islamic Nations is in dire need for a project based on the diagnosis of its real problems in order to devise the necessary plans to develop Islamic activities, stressing the need to strengthen "sound intellectual incubators in our societies to serve as protective shields against any odd intellectual, cultural or behavioural waves." He highlighted the importance of reviewing and developing the religious discourse so as to be able to face the challenges facing the Islamic Nation. He rejected encroachment on the companions of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), and casting doubt on basic religious books, such as "Sahih al-Boukhari" (a collection of hadith compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari), and warned that they may cause sedition and provoke people.