#Asharq Alawsat takes another look at the Munasaha program of counseling and rehabilitation it offers to extremists and would-be terrorists who fall into government hands. The article is interesting in that it details the various steps the program takes to assess psychological problems, the variety of religious extremism that affects the individual (and there are far more than just Al-Qaeda ideologies/theologies out there), as well as general education. With a combination of psychologists, teachers, Islamic scholars, and social workers, the program is individually tailored to the detainee.

The program is not perfect. There are recidivists though the rate of recidivism is reported to be smaller than the typical rates seen in American prison for criminal behavior.

Munasaha Program: An essential Tool in Saudi Arabia’s War on Terror
Abeed al Suhaimy

Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat-The Saudi judiciary last Wednesday issued its verdicts in the country’s first terror trials, finding 330 Al Qaeda members guilty of a range of terrorism-related charges. Prior to their conviction, these defendants had been taking part in the government-sponsored Munasaha rehabilitation program that works in parallel with the war on the ground against the Al Qaeda organization. This war involves the uncovering of sleeper cells and terrorist operations as well as the fight against those who finance terrorist activities and promote an [extremist] ideology.

Psychologists, Islamic scholars, social workers and academics are involved in the Munasaha rehabilitation program that aims to analyze and rehabilitate terrorist ideology as part of the ideological war that Saudi security apparatus has been engaged in against Al Qaeda over the past few years. Approximately 100 religious figures, psychologists, social workers, and teachers help to operate the Munasaha rehabilitation program which aims to rehabilitate those who have been involved in terrorist activity.

Sheikh Mohamed al Najimi, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, told Asharq Al-Awsat that those arrested for engaging in terrorist activity are enrolled in the Munasaha rehabilitation program before being transferred to the judiciary. He said that this program, which is implemented on both a general and personal level, has succeeded in convincing many of those who were previously involved in terrorist activity to abandon their destructive ideology. Al Najimi said, “We have counselled people who took part in well-known terrorist operations and by debating with them and utilizing evidence we have convinced them of the invalidity of their argument.”
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