UAE CONDEMNS TABA AND IRAQ TERROR; MEDIA

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003709 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA, NEA/ARPI, INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER TC SUBJECT: UAE CONDEMNS TABA AND IRAQ TERROR; MEDIA REFLECTS ON INTERNATIONAL PERCEPTION OF ISLAM ¶1. The UAE condemned the blasts that took place in Taba on October 9. In a statement carried in the press on October 10, the MFA Undersecretary, Abdullah Rashid Al Nuaimi, stated, "The UAE condemns in the strongest possible terms the bombings which occurred in Taba." He added that the bombings, which caused loss of life and property, deserve strong condemnation as they constitute vicious acts aimed at spreading unrest and instability in the region. He also voiced solidarity with Egypt; saying that the Egyptian leadership was capable of combatting such unwarranted criminal acts. ¶2. Several newspapers editorialized that the terrorist attacks contributed to misunderstandings of Islam due to the emergence of radical ideas and activities. For example, the Dubai-based English daily "Gulf News" on Oct. 10 wrote, "Yet another suicide bombing has taken place in the name of Islam. This time in Egypt, at the resort town of Taba, where death and destruction followed the detonation of two car bombs. Three groups, previously unknown, claimed responsibility, each professing to have Islamic connections. Regrettably, when Muslims claim their religion is one of peace, a large proportion of westerners point to such events as what happened Friday in Taba. That it coincided with the horrifying beheading of the British captive Kenneth Bigley, incarcerated by militants in Iraq claiming to be Muslims, merely exacerbates an already sensitive situation for devout followers of Islam." ¶3. The Abu Dhabi-based Arabic daily "Al Ittihad" wrote on Oct. 10, "We request our Arab media to be up to its responsibilities and to be honest with itself before being honest with the Arab person, and give the right names and phrases to the situations. What happened in Taba is the similar face to what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Arab media should realize the dangers of what it is promoting even if not straightforward. Broadcasting the tapes that terrorists use to promote themselves on satellite channels is a kind of planting of terrorism in humane societies." SISON