MEDIA REACTION: US POLICIES/RACISM AT AIRPORTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003555 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; RRU-NEA IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR MCKUNE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: US POLICIES/RACISM AT AIRPORTS ¶1. Summary: An unsigned editorial in "Al-Khaleej" asks the U.S. to return to the right path, to the principles of justice, freedom, and human rights. A Qatari columnist in "Al-Ittihad" writes that Arabs are treated with institutional racism in Western airports. An Egyptian columnist wondered what William Fulbright would have said had he lived long enough to witness what the American policeman was doing in of region. End Summary. ¶2. Under the headline "The harvest of the American policy", the Sharjah-based Arabic-language daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) wrote in an 09/07 unsigned editorial: "Wherever the U.S. administration looks, it will find the bad harvest of its international policy. Those who reject the policies of the U.S. administration are not just the Arab and Muslim victims and third world peoples, rather they are even the peoples of the states which are allies of America. People have moved from criticizing the U.S. policy to the state of being scared of it. When the Europeans were asked which country threatens international stability, the U.S. came first and Iran came second... This result reflects the sentiments against the U.S. policies even though the U.S. has a wide and intensive public diplomacy effort to build support... What can TV programs and the compiled articles do to shape public opinion when the disastrous reality shows something different. The America administration declared a war on terror under the pretext that it wants peace for all people. However, the administration has created the ideal climate for terror to spread. This is what the Democrats in America say in their reports which they use to confront their President. And this is what the British believe, according to an opinion poll published in the Times... When will the U.S. return to the right path, to the principles of justice, freedom, and human rights? When will it at least abide with true international legitimacy, not the jungle law which it imposes by force on today's world?" ¶3. Under the headline "When procedures turn into racism", a Qatari columnist, Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Malik, wrote in his weekly column in the Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" on 09/07 (circulation 65,000): "We don't disagree with the European states and the U.S. on their right to guarantee the safety of planes at their airports. But when scrutiny is concentrated on a particular segment based on names, culture and religion, then that is racism, which is against the divine books and the earthly laws... ACLU and the American Muslim Council accused security officers at JFK airport of discrimination against Muslims. They highlighted the case of an Iraqi family which was held at the airport for 6 hours during which they were searched with humiliation. The Sunday Mail reported that a British airline forced two passengers to leave the plane because they spoke Arabic. If this is the case, there should be new laws which forbid speaking Arabic on board and ban the travel of anyone with beard, dark-colored or wear emama (head cover for men),or those who carry with them the Quran. Isn't this a sort of racism?" ¶4. Under the headline "The two faces of America according to William Fulbright", an Egyptian columnist, Dr. Wahid Abdul-Majeed, wrote in his weekly column in the Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" on 09/07 (circulation 65,000): "If you read William Fulbright's book "The Arrogance of Power" which was written in 1966 you will be surprised by how far-sighted Fulbright was 40 years ago... It is surprising how accurate he was when he warned of what could happen if the U.S. behaved with the force of arrogance to suppress as if it has a divine message... In his book, he talked about what he called the two Americas. In reality, America is two Americas; one is positive and the other is negative. One is wicked, the other is kind... Fulbright says that one of the Americas is kind and humane and the other is self-centered. One acts responsibly and the other believes it is always right. One is looking for the truth, and the other has appointed herself as a saint... I don't know what Fulbright would have said had he lived long enough to witness what the American policeman is doing in our region, which is full of chaos and tension after a crazy war on Israel. Would he have dreamed of a new middle east to come out of the wreckage?!" ABU DHABI 00003555 002 OF 002 SISON