JEDDAH, 1 February — Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority has asked the country’s educators to steer young Saudis away from militancy, saying Islam is a religion of moderation and peace.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh warned on Wednesday against "preachers of evil who sow discord and hatred", in an apparent reference to Osama Bin Laden, key suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

Since the attacks, Saudi Arabia has been under pressure from the US media and lawmakers to reform its education system, seen by the West as a breeding ground for militancy.

Washington has said that 15 of the 19 hijackers who crashed jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington were Saudis, and that there are 100 Saudis among some 160 detainees being held at a US base in Cuba.

"Each of you must shoulder your responsibility and seek to enlighten, advise and guide the young on a moderate path," Al-Sheikh told Abdullah Al-Othman, dean of student affairs at King Saud University in Riyadh, and a group of students who visited the scholar at his office on Wednesday.

"You must warn them against misleading calls and ideologies by preachers of evil and discord who love to sow hatred against Muslims," he said.

The Muslim world is currently experiencing extremely dangerous events and unprecedented challenges, the grand mufti added. "The way out from this is by following the Book of Allah and the Traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)," the grand mufti said in his address.

"You must obey God and try to temper the zeal of youth and steer it toward acts of wisdom and purpose so that they do not act irrationally," emphasized the grand mufti, who heads the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars.

Saudi officials, hitting back at criticism in the US media, have said the Kingdom will never compromise its Islamic principles under pressure from Western media.

Education Minister Muhammad Al-Rasheed has declared that no outsider could dictate the topics to be taught at Saudi schools, as it is a matter pertaining the Kingdom’s sovereignty.

Al-Rasheed said the Kingdom’s education system was aimed at preparing students for the service of their nation, their people and society, and at instilling Islamic values.

"It also prepares students to abhor violence and injustice against both fellow human beings and animals," he added.