BOMBAY, 18 May 2003 — Many who formerly worked in the Kingdom expressed dismay and surprise at the suicide bombings in Riyadh last week. Terming the attack a cowardly act, Shaikh Hamid Abdul Karim stated: “For me it is shocking news. I always considered the Kingdom to be the best place in the world to live in peace and security. Terrorism and terrorists have no place in Islamic society.”
M. Moharkar stated: “Terrorism must be dealt with with an iron hand. I lived for several years in the Kingdom, and found the conditions to be completely safe. The suicide bombings of residential complexes by terrorists are against all norms of humanity. By carrying out such attacks, the terrorists’ only motive was to disturb the peace and security of the Kingdom”.
Condemning the blasts as aggression against a peaceful country, Raziuddin Farouqi said: “What the terrorists have done is against the spirit and tenets of Islam. Islam does not condone or preach terrorism. In the name of religion, terrorists are carrying out bomb blasts and killing innocent people, and by such acts they are only helping the enemies of Islam and generating more hatred for Muslims in the minds of non-Muslims.”
The expatriates who worked in the Kingdom supported the swift action taken by the Saudi government. They commended the actions of high officials. The former residents of the Kingdom were also confident that despite the incident, Saudi Arabia, would continue to be a safe place to work and reside in.
