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Riyadh: The visit of a Saudi Islamic educational delegation to the United States last week has contributed substantially to improving the image of the kingdom.
The delegation comprised representatives from several higher Islamic educational institutions based in various regions of the kingdom.
The visit was in response to an invitation from the Religious Education Wing at State Department, as part of its International Visit Programme.
An official source at the Ministry of Education told Gulf News that the delegates visited several US states and had meetings with government officials, academics and leaders representing various sections of society.
The source, who declined to disclose his identity, said that the delegation also visited a number of educational institutes, which are renowned for their excellent academic expertise, and among these was the Saudi Islamic Academy of Washington.
Members of the delegation were given a warm reception at the academy by Abdullah Al Shabnan, Director General of the academy.
They were briefed about the activities of the academy, as well as the salient features of the curriculum, which is a blending of Islamic education and a modern syllabus being followed by American educational institutions.
The delegation was impressed by the excellent performance of the academy in the academic field, which gives priority to learning Arabic and Islamic culture.
Graduates from the academy were told they are eligible to get direct admission to American universities.
The main purpose of the delegation's visit was to strengthen dialogue between followers of various religions and promote values of tolerance.
In another development, Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Alu Al Shaikh won accolades from the State Department for his commendable role in highlighting Islam's moderation, as well as his denunciation of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations.
In its annual report, the department also lauded the efforts of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance in detailing the reasons why Islam rejects extremism.
Deviant thoughts
Meanwhile, the Grand Mufti underlined the need for protecting youth from straying into deviant thoughts and ideologies.
Opening a religious education event in Riyadh on Wednesday, he said that the curriculum should be based on fundamental Islamic principles of piety, true belief and Sharia laws.
"There shall not be any ambiguity in presenting the true image of Islam, which shuns violence and extremism," he said and called for establishing more Quran-memorising schools in the Kingdom.
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