Arab News editor in chief, Khaled Al-Maeena, is a polite and refined writer. I never read anything by him that contradicts that description. This includes the article he published in Arab News and the Arabic daily, Al-Eqtisadiah, on July 12 criticizing me for a piece I wrote earlier concerning the threat of African overstayers — ‘a time bomb in Makkah.’

His article relied on selective paragraphs from my report. The selectiveness added a racist tone and on this, he based his criticism. He was not fair when he chose to cite incomplete paragraphs. This gave the readers, especially foreigners, the impression that I actually adopt a racist attitude that contradicts human rights by Western standards.

Just such an impression was picked up by a Wall Street Journal writer trying to prove that racism is widespread against foreigners staying illegally in the Kingdom. That was misleading since the writer failed to realize the overall vision of my article and relied only on those parts selected by Al-Maeena. Those incomplete and mutilated parts did not give a complete picture or tell the whole truth.

Al-Maeena should have mentioned my call for granting the African overstayers a legal status to allow them to lead a normal life. This would enable them to be absorbed in the society, benefit from education and health services and correct their present abnormal conditions that are harmful to the society. He shouldn’t have sidestepped the major social, economic and security problems resulting from such a situation.

I think Al-Maeena and the Wall Street Journal writer would both agree with me that any European country, or even the United States itself, would have tolerated the problem of overstayers.

I have not the slightest doubt about Al-Maeena’s good intention, sincerity and noble objectives when he wrote that criticism. I am confident a second careful reading of my article would have helped him become more understanding of the point of view I sought to express. It would have made him realize that the issue is much bigger than just racism expressed against a group of people. We all feel the effects and repercussions of this issue on our lives. It is a reality that on a daily basis affects the lives of all those associated with it and still awaits a final and permanent solution.

<31 July 2002>