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Saudi Arabia is said to be considering plans aimed at warning schoolchildren against 'Westernisation' and atheism.

The kingdom's education ministry is thought to be preparing a project called 'Immunity' which is described as 'inoculating' children from ideas that could threaten their 'ideological security'.

Among the list of threats the ministry lists to children are westernisation, atheism, liberalism and secularism.

And according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, the only threats that come after this are extremism from the likes of ISIS and al-Qaeda.

However, news of the new plans for schools provoked an angry reaction from some Saudi citizens on social media.

They protested against the ministry's perception that liberalism was a bigger threat to the country than extremists.

Media personality Nadine Al-Budair wrote on Twitter: 'If only our highly intellectual education minister would tell us what his very personal definitions of 'liberalism' and 'secularism' are.'

However, others praised the plan and tweeted under the hashtag 'Liberalism is a dangerous group.'

Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most conservative nations, has long been accused of fuelling extremism by promoting the teachings of 18th century Sunni preacher Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab.

Wahhab's ideas have been decried as a driving force behind sectarian divisions in Islam and an inspiration to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

But Saudi authorities say they are working to counter extremist messages, and the Riyadh-based King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue (KACND) has intensified efforts to promote tolerance.

Courtesy Daily Mail