MEDIA REACTION: DEALING WITH IRAN, BERNARD'S BIAS, AND

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000060 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: DEALING WITH IRAN, BERNARD'S BIAS, AND THE DEATH OF INNOCENTS -------------- Dealing With Iran -------------- ¶1. The government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" published an editorial on January 15 under the title "The Iranian Nuclear File": "Escalating statements between Iranian and Western officials are not serving the goals of peace and security in a region that needs no additional problems. The Iranian [nuclear] question cannot be solved except by dialogue, and the issue of nuclear weapons should be discussed as one issue for the entire Middle East region. The European countries should not pressure Iran without also finding a mechanism to pressure the Israeli side...Arab countries have to bring the Israeli issue up whenever the Iranian issue comes up. They are demanding fairness in dealing with such issues." -------------- Bias of Bernard Lewis -------------- ¶2. "Oman" also carried an op-ed piece by Omani columnist Abdullah Al-Ulyian on January 9 entitled "Defense is for Tolerance, not Fanaticism": "A while ago, one writer defended Bernard Lewis, the American researcher in Islamic issues...I don't find any reason for defending a writer who has always been known for his hatred towards Islam and Muslims. Lewis tried to explain Islamic tolerance by stating that it is only talk with no implementation. In other words, it is only a theory that prevails in words but with not actions or principled stances. In his book "Islamic Crisis: Sacred war and Non-Sacred Terrorism," the writer suggests that Islam is doomed by its historical background and animosity towards the West and Christendom. In the same book, Lewis asserts that not all Muslims are fanatics and not all fanatics are terrorists. However, just after that he states that most of the terrorists today are Muslims who are proud of being Muslims. This demonstrates how prejudiced some orientalists are against Islam and Muslims, even when it appears on the surface that they are not." -------------- Death of Innocents -------------- ¶3. Privately owned Arabic daily "Al-Watan" published an editorial on January 15 entitled "Innocent People Are Calling for Protection": "Since the start of the American invasion of some Asian countries on the pretense of fighting terrorism, many unfortunate events have occurred that have wasted a lot of civilian lives. When the so-called 'collaborators,' local agents hired by the U.S. government, report on the existence of terrorists in certain locations, the Americans attack the place mercilessly. It seems that Arab and Muslim lives are no longer valuable and that there is no boundary between an innocent person and a guilty one. Everyone is killed without any discrimination. There is an urgent need to impose limits and boundaries that will protect the lives of the innocents and punish the wrongdoers. Regional organizations ought to do something to save the blood of innocents and protect human rights, letting people live in peace." BALTIMORE