JEDDAH, 14 September — Saudi newspapers were yesterday joined by other dailies in the Gulf region in urging the United States not to rashly point the finger of blame at any general group for Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attacks.
The papers further called on the West not to use the tragic incident to incite the public against the Arab and Muslim world, and urged Western governments to wait for the truth to emerge.
“Thankfully, the American administration has refused to point the finger at any side, even under this extraordinary demand for immediate answers,” wrote the London-based Alsharq Al-Awsat. “When feelings of anger and shock are running high in Western streets, the responsible position that should be adopted by the West is to caution against the danger of inciting the public against certain nationalities and religions,” the paper wrote.
“The public should be educated into understanding that terrorism is not the domain of any one nationality and that even if there are terrorist groups made up of individuals from certain groups, generalizations still should not be made about those groups,” the paper continued.
Another London-based Saudi daily, Al-Hayat, said the United States is certain to avenge its injured dignity, but Washington should understand that this will not ensure a safe and secure future. “The revenge for which the US is rallying world support will not achieve its goal unless it is backed up by diplomacy. This should include building a world order that upholds the principles of justice and rights, one that cares for the poor, weak and the oppressed,” the paper said in a front-page editorial.
Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, was quoted as saying that the Saudi government and people were as one in their insistence that any individual who engages in criminal activity was not welcome in the Kingdom.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), commenting on the consistent media description of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden as a “Saudi”, said his Saudi nationality has in fact long been stripped from him as a result of his irresponsible acts.
Newspapers in the United Arab Emirates also urged Washington to refrain from accusing all Arabs and Muslims of being to blame for the devastating attacks.
“Washington should resist the temptation to take rash revenge just to vent its wrath, and US authorities and media should distance themselves from Zionist allegations against Arabs,” wrote Al-Bayan.
Jeddah-based Okaz said the international community must more than ever before collectively work to stamp out terrorism, but this must be done within the context of international laws that respect each nation’s sovereignty.
“By offering to cooperate to fight terrorism, countries should not be subjected to any policies dictated on them,” the paper added.
