MoU signed to promote ‘culture of moderation’ in Saudi Arabia

A memorandum of cooperation was signed on Sunday in Jeddah between the Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Center for Moderation at King Abdul Aziz University and the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques to promote a culture of moderation and the combating of terrorism, extremism, and racism.
The document was signed in the presence of Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal.
The agreement was co-signed by Dr. Abdulrahman Obaid Al-Youbi, president of KAU and chairman of the center, and Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Under the agreement, he two parties will cooperate to organize and support awareness-raising media campaigns for promoting a culture of moderation and renouncing extremism, violence, and intolerance of all forms, in addition to through social media campaigns.
The memorandum of cooperation includes a number of objectives aimed at mainstreaming the approach of moderation in society, combating extremist and terrorist ideologies, and enhancing intellectual awareness through conducting joint scientific research and applied and field studies on mainstreaming the approach of moderation, developing intellectual awareness and protecting society from extremism.
The two parties will cooperate under the memorandum in exchanging experiences and information on conferences and forums for moderation and protecting against extremism, developing cultural and awareness-raising programs and activities, such as panel discussion, lectures, seminars, competitions, forums, festivals and sports activities, and providing joint training workshops and programs in the field of moderation and combating extremism.
In addition, the two parties will support and promote moderation programs and activities within their respective spheres of interest, provide technical programs to promote moderate ideologies, and support the implementation of programs and follow up to ensure achievement of their objectives.
Dr. Hassan bin Yahya Al-Manakhra, president of the Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Center for Moderation, said that it is keen to sign agreements with bodies that are active in society, especially in the field of moderate ideologies, such as the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
“The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is concerned with the holiest places associated with Islam, the religion from which we take our Shariah, teachings and moderate approach and ideology,” he said.