For decades, the Council of Senior Scholars has only used the quarterly Journal of Islamic Research to communicate with the public. Now it has decided to also employ new media platforms for this task.

The council recently opened an account on Twitter because its members believe this is the way to communicate with young people. In addition, it has set up a website with content in eight languages other than Arabic.

The journal and the various communication platforms will be used to publish council issues including fatwas, research and other content issued by the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta.

The recent upheavals in the Middle East and the rise of terrorist groups have seen the council set up a program that would highlight the values of Islam and its rejection of extremism.

The idea for the program was formulated at a council meeting about five years ago. The scholars had decided to form a committee that would address these issues.

Later, a royal decree was issued that approved the recommendations of the committee. One of the most important recommendations involved establishing a program for the members of the council to communicate with other students and intellectuals, and to raise public awareness on the moderate approach in Islam.

Fahad Al-Majid, secretary-general of the council, said the vision and mission of the program would address these issues at local, regional and international levels.

Council members have already started to tour various regions of the country to highlight their role in facing up to extremism and terrorism, to clarify terminology and help clear up issues that citizens may be confused about.

The council said it would rely on several government bodies to support it, including the Interior, Defense, Information, Islamic affairs and Education Ministries, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and General Presidency of Youth Welfare.

Sources told local media that the secretariat has established a special administration department for the members of the council that would assist it in its task.