By Abdul Rahman Al-Lahim
Okaz
I DON›T know the reason for some people expressing their anguish over the staging of world-class entertainment programs in the Kingdom for the first time. These individuals should know that these are programs that are enjoyed by people all over the world.
It›s unfortunate that a group of extremists has been launching a campaign against the Entertainment Authority for organizing some selective entertainment programs. The authority did not force anybody to attend these programs but announced them for the benefit of interested people.
The door was wide open for people who wanted to come and enjoy the programs. No force was applied on people who preferred to stay at home and watch TV programs, because they have the freedom to do that. The authority would not compel anyone to watch its programs.
This is quite clear and understandable. Unfortunately extremists do not understand this equation. Nobody knows why these people oppose every activity that brings happiness and enjoyment to people and why they impose depression and sadness on the community.
For the first time, people in the Kingdom have got an opportunity to enjoy world-class art and beauty without going abroad. This will definitely have a great impact on younger generations and it would refine their attitude and make them milder and humane.
It will also empower the youth to confront the culture of death promoted by extremists. The Education Ministry should cooperate with the Entertainment Authority to deepen values of art, beauty and music in the minds of students inside schools by organizing attractive on-stage programs.
Creation of such a school atmosphere would deny opportunities for extremists to inject their deviant and destructive thoughts in the minds of students to brainwash them. Some educational supervisors use to conduct programs having an extremist content.
The ministry should prevent supervisors from conducting programs such as visiting graves and body-washing places. Such visits were organized by supervisors as part of extracurricular activities due to the negligence of monitoring authorities.
We have got up from that slumber and we should protect our youth from being exposed to extremist and deviant thoughts and ideas. Openness to fine arts with all its forms will prevent them from falling into the gutters of extremism once again. We have to inculcate in young minds the culture of life in place of a culture of death.
