The love of our country often manifests itself only when we live outside it. It is like realizing the importance of water when you are thirsty, except in this situation a person realizes that his country is precious.
We naturally feel unhappy when we see and hear the dangers surrounding our country. Every day our sadness increases because some of those who want to attack our country are our own people. We must fight these people because they claim they are doing it in the name of Islam when Islam has nothing to do with their actions.
Criminals claim that they are acting in the name of Islam, which is not true. They hide under Islamic titles while living in luxury in European countries in the name of freedom. From those countries they plan and train people. Their ambitions and dreams have nothing to do with what is happening in Palestine or Iraq nor are they defending Islam. These people do not distinguish between young and old. Their real targets are hidden behind their catchy words and phrases.
I believe that the people who carried out the bombings in Riyadh and killed many policemen are people who know nothing about Islam. They attract other misinformed and ignorant people who soon support the idea that they are defending Islam when, in fact, they are killers.
After Saudi TV showed the quantity of weapons and ammunition hidden in villages and small towns, we were forced to admit that terrorism is here even though we wanted to believe that it wasn’t.
All our efforts should be directed to discovering these people and bringing them to justice. We need a national campaign to expose these people. Citizens must search their homes, offices and even their children for weapons. Parents are responsible for their children’s behavior. We should not donate to suspicious organizations that might use our donations for purposes other than charity. Every citizen is responsible for the safety and security of this country. We are exposed to danger and we need to fight it for our future and the future of our children.
If we do not act soon, we will pay a heavy price. What is surprising is that countries which claim they are fighting terrorism are harboring terrorists by allowing them to hold conferences and gatherings. I read in an Arabic newspaper about a group calling itself “The Great 19” that held an anti-Western conference. The 19 referred to are of course those who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. And this conference happened in a country that is allegedly fighting terrorism.
- Arab News From the Local Press 1 September 2003
