Saudi Arabian Information Office Director Nail A. Al-Jubeir responds to New York Times op-ed [“Father Knows Best,” 1/06/10] in a letter to the editor, published January 13, 2010

Saudi government officials and religious scholars – including and especially King Abdullah – have been outspoken in their condemnation of religious intolerance, extremism and terrorism, in Saudi Arabia and around the world.

This has been the case in speeches, pronouncements and media interviews – in print and online, and on radio and television.

King Abdullah seeks to protect Saudi Arabia from extremism and violence, and its youth from deviant ideologies that could corrupt them, and, by extension, undermine the nation’s future.

The open and public denunciation of those who pervert the peaceful faith of Islam has been central to how the kingdom continues to successfully fight against terrorists.