An important religious academic tells colleagues to keep young people away from extremist ideas. The government plans to build a barrier along the border.

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Young Saudis who go to fight in Iraq are “preachers of evil,” said Shaikh Saleh Bin Fauzan Al Fauzan, a prominent member of the Senior (Islamic) Scholars' Commission.

Speaking to faculty members at Imam Mohammad Bin Saudi Islamic University on Tuesday, the scholar said that it is “obligatory” on the part of all to admonish those youths who are eager to go to Iraq to fight and that it was important to convince them of the dangers involved in their move. Should they be obstinate and insist on going, then security officials should be given a tip-off, he explained.

“Lectures, special classes and various other means should be applied for the same,” he said.

Saleh Fauzan’s warning comes as concern over possible terrorist “contagion” from neighbouring Iraq.

In fact General Mansour Al Turki, Ministry of Interior spokesman, recently announced the invitation of tenders from leading contracting companies to build a fence along the border

As many as 14 companies have so far presented their bids to grab the contract.

• saudi
• arabia
• iraq
• riyadh
• young
• saudis
• preachers
• of
• evil
• shaikh
• saleh
• bin
• fauzan
• al
• fauzan
• senior
• islamic
• scholars'
• commission
• imam
• mohammad
• bin
• saudi
• islamic
• university
• mansour
• al
• turki
• fence
• terrorism