For years we Saudis did not know how it felt to be victims of terrorism. The last major terrorist attack that involved Saudis being killed was in 1979 when a group of extremists invaded the Grand Mosque in Makkah. But that was before my generation reached maturity — and before many of us were born.
Years passed and we heard regularly of other incidents of terrorism. We followed the events of Sept. 11 in the United States live on TV. And as information started to come through about 15 Saudis being involved, we came up with all sorts of conspiracy theories about Mossad being involved or about people stealing Saudi passports that were used by those who committed the acts. And though there had been a major terrorist attack in Riyadh in 1996 that took the lives of 19 US military personnel, we did not feel the sharpness of the incident because it did not involve our own nationals.
That all changed on May 12, 2003 — or as we Saudis refer to it, Rabiul Awwal 11 — when terrorism came knocking at our own back door. For the first time since 1979, we now are mourning the deaths of our own citizens as a result of terrorism. Perhaps we are now beginning to feel what Americans felt on Sept. 11 when nearly 3,000 people were killed in an attack that involved one of the largest number of American lives lost in one day in the history of their nation.
Our leader, Crown Prince Abdullah, called for serious self-examination after Sept. 11. A year later, addressing Saudi university students at King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals, he said “Beware of Islamic extremism. Be moderate in your religion.” And again after the bombings in Riyadh, it was the crown prince who addressed the nation and said, “Anyone who sympathizes or justifies the actions of the apostates is considered one of them.”
Crown Prince Abdullah’s directives to the Council of Ministers last week that it must heed the calls for reform made by the King in his speech to the Shoura (Consultative) Council should erase any doubts anyone has about our government’s role in calling for reforms in the country and for preaching a moderate Islam. There is not a single sane Saudi who does not agree with the efforts made by our government to crack down on extremists. It is now up to us Saudis to implement the moderate Islam as directed by our leaders.
We must now begin asking questions that we have shied away from in the past. We need to start examining, and taking an analytical look at, our lifestyles, our upbringing, our tolerance of other faiths and other people. We also need to accept other opinions and to realize that the diversity of backgrounds among Saudis is a strength and not a weakness. For too long we have indulged in prejudice and misconceptions about other people.
It is time we learned to live together peacefully without prejudices and without dictating opinions to others. Let us unite as a nation and fight radicalism as a threat to our country and security.
That cannot happen however without self-criticism and candor. The reasons that led people to commit the heinous acts in Riyadh must be addressed with openness at all levels of society. The things which breed radicalism in our country must be eradicated. And the responsibility for that lies with every Saudi household.
The only positive thing I can think of which resulted from the Riyadh attacks is that it has united us Saudis more than ever in facing our common enemy. Just as Sept. 11 prompted the US to launch its global war on terror so let Rabiul Awwal 11 prompt us Saudis to realize that we have some cleaning-up to do in our own backyard.
Arab News Opinion 28 May 2003
