MEDIA REACTION ON ZARQAWI

UNCLAS AMMAN 004230 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN USAID/ANE/MEA LONDON FOR TSOU SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR JO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON ZARQAWI Editorial Commentary -- "Killing Jordanians is not justifiable" Chief Editor Ayman Safadi writes on the back-page of centrist, independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (06/12): "The visit of IAF parliament members to offer condolences to the family of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and the undertaking by one of them to declare him a martyr is an unacceptable immoral downfall and an unjustifiable political stand. The position of the IAF and the Muslim Brotherhood of not removing themselves from this stand is a sin that cannot be understood. Zarqawi is a criminal and a murderer, and whoever does not say that clearly and directly is offending the country and the people and belittles the pain and suffering of those who suffered from Zarqawi's crimes and terrorism.. It is an issue that cannot be politicized. Terrorism is a crime. Whoever justifies terrorism is a criminal and a danger to society.. Standing up to terrorism and attempts to justify it is the duty of every Jordanian and every political party, particularly the IAF whose political program itself stems from Islam.. What Zarqawi did is not resistance and is not jihad.. The Islamic movement can still correct the wrong by announcing its own measures against its members who provoked the people with their actions. Let the movement adopt a clear stand that is in line with the feelings of Jordanians, a stand that condemns Zarqawi as a terrorist and that incriminates any attempt to justify Zarqawi's actions." -- "The issue of tanweer (enlightenment) and the issue of Zarqawi" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back-page of centrist, independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (06/12): "The rhetoric of extremism which finds nothing wrong with declaring sympathy with Zarqawi is waging on the public's feelings of anger and frustration at Israel's crimes. The fact of the matter is that this is the same old story all the way back to the Deir Yassin massacre. The confrontation with Israel and all those behind Israel was always a support-rallying tool used by the subsequent leftist, nationalist and Islamic totalitarian ideological trends. It is the bridge on which every totalitarian project crossed in order to control the society and achieve authority. Yet, what has decisively settled the struggle between us and Israel the first time is the same that settles it every time, namely the balance of power. Backwardness is the keyword that no one wants to acknowledge, and one of its repercussions is not recognizing reality and its own fallout. So we repeat the tragedy over and over, and we achieve massive material and psychological losses that lead us to even deeper hollows." -- "Cause for consternation" Centrist, elite English daily Jordan Times (06/12) editorializes: "It is true that in Islam, like in other religions, when a person dies he or she is entitled to a prayer, rite or administration of a sacrament for the remission of sin.. But if most people deserve that, Abu Mosab Zarqawi does not. He was no ordinary sinner. His were monstrous sins of wanton butchery of innocent people. Expressing condolences to the Zarqawi family, especially by some members of our Parliament belonging to the Islamic Action Front, is cause for consternation.. The outcry from political figures, parliamentary leaders and the press over the condolence visit by our MPs is warranted. This indignation by these elected members of Parliament should serve as an alert that more needs to be done to raise the consciousness of those who hold any sympathy for terrorists." -- "The Islamic movement and concluding a stand on terrorism" Chief Editor Taher Odwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (06/12): "No one is asking the Islamic movement to merge or agree with government stands and public policies. It is after all an opposition movement that has the right to have a different opinion and stand. Yet, when this movement decides to place one foot here and the other there on the terrorism issue and the policies and cultures that encourage terrorism, then it becomes a national issue, because not only the government is concerned about this extremism- suggesting mystery, but also society.. When deputies use the opportunity [condolences visit] and turn social traditions into political action, then we are face to face with a political action that indirectly glorifies extremism and suggests that its actions and the shed blood of its victims be ignored." RUBINSTEIN