(WASHINGTON, DC) - Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-AsShaikh, who is also Chairman of the Council of Senior Ulema (religious scholars) and the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, called on young people not to follow the devious assertions of jihad by groups whose ideologies contradict Islam. Sheikh Al-AsShaik made this appeal following the arrests in northern Riyadh on Monday of eight people on suspicion of recruiting minors for extremists groups abroad.

The Grand Mufti warned of the danger of sending the youth to unfamiliar lands, fighting for principles they don’t understand, only to become the first victims of arrests. He also urged people not to mislead the young and subject them to great danger under the claims of jihad by sending them abroad. Sheikh Al-AsShaik emphasized that this issue is of utmost important.

In a statement earlier this month, Sheikh Al-AsShaikh stated, "The ideas of extremism, radicalism and terrorism do not belong to Islam in any way, but are the first enemy of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims, as seen in the crimes of the so-called Daash (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda and their affiliated groups.