SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: SAUDI INTELLECTUAL CONDEMNS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003200

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON ALSO FOR MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: SAUDI INTELLECTUAL CONDEMNS
SUICIDE BOMBINGS



1. SUMMARY: SAUDI INTELLECTUAL JAMAL KHASHOGGI WROTE IN THE SEMI-
OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" THAT THE SUICIDE BOMBINGS
REPRESENT THE LARGEST INTELLECTUAL AND ETHICAL CRISIS
ENCOUNTERING ISLAM. HE ASSERTS THAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MUSLIMS
AND THE WEST ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE, BUT RESORTING TO SUICIDE
OPERATIONS IS NOT THE ANSWER. THIS ISN'T BECAUSE OF WHAT THE WEST
WANTS, OR BECAUSE ARAB GOVERNMENTS ARE GETTING THEIR DUE, BUT
SIMPLY BECAUSE SUCH OPERATIONS CONFLICT WITH THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM
AND MANY MUSLIM AUTHORITIES HAVE ISSUED FATWAS IN THIS REGARD.
END SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SUICIDE OPERATIONS: THE LARGEST MORAL AND
INTELLECTUAL CRISIS ENCOUNTERING ISLAM", SAUDI INTELLECTUAL JAMAL
KHASHOGGI, WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD"
7/19:(CIRCULATION 65,000)

MUSLIM LEADERS IN BRITAIN IMMEDIATELY CONDEMNED THE LATEST
SUICIDE ATTACKS, WITH SOME LEADERS ADMITTING THEIR INABILITY TO
STOP THESE ATROCITIES DUE TO THE FREQUENT DISPLAY OF KILLINGS
AND HUMILIATIONS OF MUSLIMS IN IRAQ AND PALESTINE ON THE
INTERNET AND TELEVISION. THE LATTER FEELING IS OFTEN SHARED
WITH MUSLIMS OUTSIDE OF BRITAIN, WHO TEND TO VIEW U.S. AND
BRITISH POLICIES AS RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPIRING ANGRY MUSLIM YOUTH
TO BECOME TERRORISTS. THIS MEANS ONE THING: SUICIDE BOMBINGS
WILL CONTINUE IN LONDON AND ELSEWHERE. NOTHING ON THE HORIZON
INDICATES THAT BRITAIN WILL DECIDE TO INCLUDE KASHMIR IN
PAKISTAN OR THAT THE U.S. WILL ABANDON ISRAEL. SOME MAY SAY,
LET THEM PAY THE PRICE FOR THEIR ERRONEOUS POLICIES. THE PROBLEM
IS THAT THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC MISTAKE, FOR WHICH WE PAY A DEAR
PRICE. SUCH SUICIDE OPERATIONS ARE IN CONFLICT WITH OUR RELIGION
AND ETHICS. BRITAIN AND THE U.S. ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO BOOST
THEIR SECURITY, STRENGTHEN THEIR STAND, AND CONDEMN ANYONE THEY
BELIEVE TO BE FOREIGN TO THEIR NATURE. IT IS HIGH TIME THAT
CLEAR AND DECISIVE POSITIONS ARE TAKEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS,
THAT CLEARLY BAN ALL KINDS OF SUICIDE BOMBINGS. NOT BECAUSE THE
WEST WANTS THIS OR BECAUSE THE ARAB NATIONS WILL PAY FOR IT, BUT
SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE BOMBINGS CONTRADICT THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM AND
MANY SALAFI ULAMAS SUPPORT THIS VIEW.."


3. "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WISE FOR OUR ULAMAS, EVEN THOSE WHO
ALLOWED SUCH ATTACKS, TO RETURN BACK TO A LEGAL AND FUNDAMENTAL
STANCE BANNING SUCH ACTS. EVEN IF THE ULAMA THAT ISSUES THE
FATWA IS A WELL-KNOWN AND RESPECTED MAN SUCH AS SHEIKH YOUSSEF
QARADAWI, OR A MEMBER OF A HONEST AND HARDWORKING MOVEMENT SUCH
AS HAMAS, SUCH ACTIONS SHOULD RECEIVE CONDEMNATION. RESORTING
TO SUCH AN ACTION WAS A HUGE MORAL BLUNDER AND REFRAINING FROM
SUCH A MISTAKE IS A VIRTUOUS DEED. ISLAM IS FACING THE MOST
DANGEROUS MORAL CRISIS AS A RESULT OF AL-QAEDA'S UNLAWFUL
OPERATION THAT HURT OUR PROUD TRADITION. THIS MUST BE SOLVED
FIRSTLY BY LIMITING THE AUTHORITY OF SENIOR ULAMAS AND
CHALLENGING THEIR LEGITIMACY THROUGH PUBLIC PRESSURE AND
PROTESTING."


4. "SOLVING THIS PROBLEM MUST BEGIN BY REFERRING TO THE LAW AND
THE TEACHINGS OF GOD AND HIS PROPHET. DIFFERENCES WILL ALWAYS
REMAIN BETWEEN US AND THE WEST. IT IS A MISTAKE FOR ANYONE,
REGARDLESS OF HOW PRAGMATIC HE IS, OR HOWEVER MUCH A FRIEND OF
THE WEST, TO TELL HIS FELLOW MUSLIMS TO COMPLY OR SURRENDER ON
THEIR TERMS. LET'S OPPOSE THEIR POSITIONS AND RESIST THEM, BUT
ONLY WITHIN A LEGAL AND MORAL FRAMEWORK. EVEN WHEN MUSLIM
BRITISH VIOLATE THE LAW OR DEMONSTRATE AGAINST GLOBALIZATION,
THEIR ACTIONS WILL REMAIN ACCEPTABLE AND THE MOST THEY WILL PAY
FOR THIS IS THE PRICE OF BROKEN GLASS AND FEW DAYS IN JAIL. NO
ONE WILL ACCUSE ISLAM OF VIOLENCE OR FEEL SUSPICIOUS OF MUSLIMS.
LET'S GO BEYOND POLITICS AND OTHER INTERESTS AND BAN THESE
OPERATIONS IN ACCORDANCE TO THE TEACHINGS OF ALLAH AND ISLAM."

SISON