Controlling the religious content in states based on religious nationalism

Controlling religious content is a key issue for states based on religious nationalism. There was a time when many governments either ignored this content or used it for their own political benefit or denied its link with religious violence. Now it's different. Most governments have realized extremist religious material is highly dangerous, so religious books, pamphlets, and speeches have to be regulated. Whether it is media or schools, religious states are increasingly trying to define what is right and what is wrong 'religion' or 'religious content'. 

In 2014, Hassan bin Salem talked about how Saudi Arabia is limiting access of religious preachers to schools (See Saudi Arabia tries to stop religious lectures in schools). Salem argues that it is not the first time it is done.

The move of the Ministry of Education is not the first of its kind, as the call has been reiterated over the past years. Sometimes, schools were compelled to obtain official approval prior to any lecture, and other times the ministry would specify the scholars who are allowed to give lectures without prior permit. These would be members of the Council of Senior Scholars. Other scholars would first have to obtain an official permission from the relevant authorities.

The goal of all of these steps, procedures and reservations is to protect students from being affected by any extremist theses or militant opinions that may be raised by some preachers. It is an important goal that the ministry ought to give enough attention.

Pakistan also tried to regulate the public diffusion of religious content that it considers extremist and aiding sectarianism and terrorism. The following four points of the 20-point National Action Program (NAP) , issued after the Peshawar massacre in December 2014, are reproduced below: 

11. Ban on glorification of terrorists and terrorist organisations through print and electronic media.

13. Communication network of terrorists will be dismantled completely.

14. Concrete measures against promotion of terrorism through internet and social media.

18. Action against elements spreading sectarianism.

However, it appears that efforts of both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have not been successful. Similarly, in Israel, extremist views have become more and more kosher and mainstream, despite some efforts by the government to restrict the downward slide. The reason is clear. While some parts of these states are working to regulate and control religious content, other parts are working to spread them. Furthermore, when state itself is publishing and promoting discriminatory content, it is difficult to decide where to draw the line. One solution frequently prescribed is to draw the line when the content calls for violence. However, this apparently easy solution is actually not so easy as it is difficult to define what is a call for violence.