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December 16th, 2008

From Jihad to Rehab
Slideshow: Art Therapy

At Saudi Arabia’s experimental rehabilitation center for former jihadists, art therapy is used to teach participants to express themselves non-violently. The prevalent interpretation of Islamic law forbids the depiction of people or animals, so most of the drawings are graphic, and some incorporate verses from the Koran and other text. Click on the images below to see some of the drawings.

Mohammed Al-Sharef's drawing of the sun rising from the earth. The text on the sun reads, There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet. The rays, from bottom to top, say, In the name of God the merciful; Thank God, the God of the universe, for everything; Patience is the key to contentedness; Follow the way of the prophet; and The holy Koran.
Drawing by Hatem, a former jihadist.
Drawing by Salem Al Saif, another former jihadist.
Bender Al-Jabry's drawing. The writing around the "eye" reads, Bender who has come back from Guantanamo Bay.
A mural on a wall at the Saudi rehabilitation center for former jihadists. The text says, Make from your imprisonment a candle that lights your life.

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