Intellectual ignorance: A study reveals its connection to the creation of extremism and the undermining of stability
A recent academic study has warned of the dangers of the growing phenomenon of "intellectual ignorance," describing it as not merely a lack of information, but a systematic project aimed at undermining the very foundations of national and religious stability in societies. This warning was included in the doctoral dissertation submitted by Dr. Reem Ramzi, a researcher in intellectual and cultural issues, for which she received a distinction from Umm Al-Qura University. Her dissertation shed light on the insidious mechanisms employed by extremist groups to distort public consciousness.
Mechanisms of creating illusion and suppressing reason
The study, titled “Intellectual Ignorance and its Cultural Effects,” supervised by Professor Abdullah Al-Khudairi of the Department of Qur’an and Sunnah, revealed dangerous strategies based on the creation of “illusory knowledge.” The researcher explained that these strategies rely on suppressing sound scientific methodology and replacing it with emotionally charged doubts, thus isolating young people from established Islamic legal evidence and creating a gap between them and established scholars.
In a related context, “intellectual security” is a fundamental pillar in the stability of modern states, as historical and political facts indicate that extremist groups always rely, in their beginnings, on isolating their followers intellectually from society and making them doubt national and religious constants, in order to easily control them and direct them to serve suspicious foreign agendas, which is what the study confirmed through its monitoring of the tools of ignorance that prohibit looking into the valid interpretations.
Threat to national identity and social peace
The research paper demonstrated that the devastating effects of intellectual ignorance are not confined to narrow partisan groups, but extend to the broader cultural sphere, leading to the erosion of national identity and the emergence of multiple loyalties. This erosion sows the seeds of unrest and discord, directly serving the agendas of those who promote deviant ideologies and seek to undermine human values and strip national identity of its authentic content.
The study identified the most dangerous consequences of this ignorance, namely the clash with the pure doctrine of monotheism and the distortion of religious texts through fragmented readings that serve the whims of deviants. This study is of paramount importance at present, given the challenges posed by modern communication technologies, which have facilitated brainwashing and the spread of malicious rumors targeting national unity.
The Saudi role in promoting intellectual immunity
Dr. Reem highlighted the pivotal and leading role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its security, religious, and educational institutions, in confronting these destructive trends. The Kingdom operates according to a comprehensive strategy to protect society from the contamination of deviant ideologies, safeguarding the faith and preserving national security. This is reflected in the significant attention given to postgraduate studies that diagnose these phenomena and develop scientific solutions for them.
In her concluding recommendations, the researcher stressed the need to declare a state of heightened research and intellectual mobilization, and to intensify rigorous scientific studies to bolster the intellectual resilience of society. She emphasized the importance of exposing the machinations of those who distort public awareness, thereby ensuring the establishment of intellectual security on firm scientific and legitimate foundations, and thwarting anyone who attempts to manipulate the minds of the younger generation or undermine the nation's resources and achievements.
