RIYADH, 11 March — Dr. James Reston Jr., a well-known American writer and author of “Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade”, has backed the struggle of Palestinians to restore their occupied lands as a legitimate right and a true act of jihad.
Addressing a cultural evening organized by Al-Obaikan Publishing House at King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Riyadh, Reston said the heroic acts of Palestinians “represented the same jihad carried out by Saladin [Salahuddin Ayyubi] in its best form during his time.”
Reston said he would stand by his opinion and does not care about the consequences.
“I won’t fear any campaign against me from any quarter, because I’m not a politician to appease those parties,” he added.
However, he refused to accept that the activities of Osama Bin Laden represented a jihad.
“Islam has prohibited the killing of innocent people,” he explained. “In my readings and studies on the life of Salahuddin Ayyubi, I did not find any linkage between the brutal killings practiced by Bin Laden and Salahuddin’s jihad.”
The American writer called upon President George W. Bush and his administration to make use of the historic opportunity provided by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, to establish peace in the Middle East.
“The US government must make use of this opportunity, because the initiative has come this time from a country distinguished for its influence in the Islamic world,” he said.
He commended the crown prince for the peace initiative and expressed his hope that it would bring an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East.
Reston expressed his distress over the continuing unlimited US support for Israel, which has created a wave of hatred against the United States in the Middle East and in the Islamic world in general.
The American author is opposed to the continuing attack on Afghanistan. He also criticized American foreign policy in general as it had resulted in drawing the enmity of the whole world against Washington.
He also blamed the Islamic world for failing to promote its true, positive essence in the Western world, especially the United States.
“There are a lot of distortions over there and concerted efforts should be made to help people understand Islam’s reality and tolerance,” he added.
Reston said that he was surprised to hear the reaction of some Muslims when he came to the Kingdom as they said they had been shocked by the Sept. 11 events.
He said he had read the Islamic edict (fatwa) of the Saudi grand mufti condemning the barbaric attacks on New York and Washington.
Reston criticized the US media coverage toward the war on Afghanistan. The government should allow the media to cover the war with full freedom, he said, adding that it should not be controlled by the public relations wing of the Defense Department.
“There could be more losses on the American side and nobody would know about it,” he claimed.
