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