Prisons run by the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia are teaching Islamists they have a distorted view of Islam, according to a recent article from BBC News.

The prison offers a relaxed environment where prisoners (many who follow the ideas and beliefs of al-Qaeda) are allowed to swim, play tennis, make art, and so forth. In exchange, they take classes to learn about the ways al-Qaeda has distorted Islam to achieve its own ends.

When prisoners’ sentences are over, the government helps them pay for weddings and even furnishes them with household goods and cars. The government claims it is a great way to fight ideas with ideas and rehabilitate former offenders.

What is an Islamist?

Islamism is an extreme form of Islam where practitioners combine the Muslim religion with ideologies about their political system. One on end of the spectrum, Islamists appear to be much like other religions that claim to have returned to the core beliefs and original intent of the religion. On the other end, Islamists appear to be militant, ultra-conservative, and strict.

Examples of Islamists (from all ends of the spectrum) include the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, and the Saudi Wahhabis.

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