KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Saudi Arabia is arranging marriages between former militants as a ‘therapy’ to prevent their relapse into terrorism.

The government hopes since the couples will be busy with their marital responsibilities, they will not be involved in any extremist groups, said Abdul Rahman Al Hadlag, Ideological Security Director of the Saudi Interior Ministry.

As part of a deradicalisation pre-release programme, he added, the ex-militants would be given money as dowry and houses to live in. 

“We have also set our pre-release care programme to focus on activities that involve religious, financial and psychological aspects,” said Abdul Rahman at the International Conference on Deradicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism 2016, here today.

Abdul Rahman said research had shown that militants had been recruited using the 3M approach — Money (to lure) Men (with grievances) and Mindset (of extremist violent ideology).

He said that most of those who joined extremist groups were single, in their mid-twenties, high school graduates and from middle class families.

Realising this, Abdul Rahman said, the government had set up a rehab counselling and care centre for ex-prisoners, providing them counselling sessions and self-development activities, and equipping them with skills to enable them to secure a job.

“At the same time we support their families financially and morally, win their hearts and minds and educate them,” he said.

Abdul Rahman said the government held continuous lectures and conferences, had nearly 20 articles published daily, and distributed CDs and pamphlets — all against extremism.

He added that Saudi Arabia was cooperating with the international community and sharing its best practises to combat terrorism.

The two-day conference that ended today was attended by representatives of Asean countries, as well as Australia, China, Japan, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States. — Bernama