OMAN MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI NATIONAL UNITY, APPEAL FOR

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000121 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR LONDON FOR GOLDRICH PARIS FOR ZEYA USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR ASILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI NATIONAL UNITY, APPEAL FOR MUTUAL RESPECT BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS, LESSONS FOR ISLAMIC NEW YEAR -------------- Iraqi Steps toward National Unity -------------- ¶1. The government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" published an editorial on January 29 under the title "The New Iraqi Government": "The negotiations in Iraq between different political powers are important steps toward national unity. There is a discussion about forming one political bloc which will balance other blocs in Iraq, especially the Shiite alliance which won the majority of seats in the Iraqi National Assembly. Reaching political harmony between all these blocs in Iraq will pave the way toward formation of a new Iraqi government that will lead the country for the next four years. The Iraqi people are looking forward to the return of normal life and rebuilding Iraq, which will provide all services necessary for better living." -------------- -- Appeal for Mutual Respect between Civilizations -------------- -- ¶2. "Oman" published an editorial on January 30, which alluded to continuing controversy over Danish cartoons deemed offensive to Islam. The piece was entitled "A New Year of Peace and Security": "Countries of the world should not seek to promote hatred and division among people for their own personal and selfish interests. We hope that they will adopt the peaceful language of dialogue, and discard any actions that would prompt violence between religions. Offending a faith and its edifices benefits no one. There are red lines that should not be crossed when it comes to religious figures and beliefs, even for the sake of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression does not mean that one looks down on any culture, belief, or civilization." -------------- Lessons for the Islamic New Year -------------- ¶3. Privately owned Arabic daily "Al-Watan" published an editorial on January 30 entitled "Islamic New Year and Its Lessons": "Despite the fact that today's Muslims are trying to deal with non-Muslims on the basis of Islamic tolerance and human merit...other non-Muslim thinkers and orientalists in Western countries insist that Islam is a violent religion. This unrealistic blame is turning into an organized attack on everything related to Islam, extending to Muslims' thinking, talking and behaving. We as Muslims have a responsibility to depict true Islam, and we must expend additional effort to convince the world of the reality of Islam and its teachings. BALTIMORE