Tunisia to launch campaign to curb extremism among youth

TUNIS — Tunisia announced Thursday it is launching a campaign to counter religious extremism among its youth after a string of deadly militant attacks in the North African country.

The one-year campaign to start on Sunday aims to promote "Islam's real, moderate values" to protect "youth and their thinking from terrorism", Religious Affairs Minister Mohamed Khalil said.

Extremism has "invaded the thoughts of our youth via the Internet", he said.

The ministry will launch a website featuring recorded sermons and religious seminars as part of a campaign dubbed "Ghodwa khir" — "Tomorrow will be better" in Tunisian Arabic dialect.

It will also fund awareness raising programmes on public and private radio and television stations.

A helpline will be set up for "youths with questions about religion", and authorised imams and preachers will supervise classes in mosques.

Tunisia has failed to curb a rise in extremism since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.