The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) welcomed a delegation of American evangelical leaders headed by Joel Rosenberg.
During the visit, a review was made of Etidal’s strategy in facing extremist ideology and the mechanisms of observing, analyzing or dealing with extreme content, especially on social media, as well as reviewing the primary techniques used within the Center to study and understand extremist discourse.
For his part, the head of the evangelical leaders’ delegation thanked Saudi Arabia government for its efforts in combating terrorism. He also praised the role played globally by Etidal in facing extremism and spreading a moderate ideology. "I have heard about the Center since its establishment and we were watching this change closely specially that the region has suffered a lot from extremist ideology, so we encourage you and support you to move forward," he said.
He also stressed that extremism is a common enemy that is easy to confront especially when it is clearly identified, and when its activities are observed and its motives are understood. It can thus be defeated and eliminated through mutual cooperation.
Dr. Nasser Albiqami, Secretary General of Etidal, expressed his deepest condolences for the tragic incident of the Jewish temple bombing in Pennsylvania, USA. He also pointed out that Etidal is working hard to understand and combat extremism.
According to Dr. Albiqami, Etidal focuses on how extremist groups recruit new elements, especially among the youth, recognizing that, with technology, there is no limit to countering radical discourse. The Center has developed predictive models of extremist groups’ activities and threats, as it seeks to be a global peace project aiming at coexistence among religions and the promotion of shared human values.
