Now the terrorists have struck, causing death and destruction. What are we going to do? Unfortunately, the answer will be the same — full pages of statements, comments and articles, all condemning and deploring the horrible events of May 12. The reaction will be no more than empty words that will soon evaporate without seriously addressing the root causes of the problem. All that we will read and hear will have no value as we continue to react in this way. Our condemnations and those from our friends will lead us nowhere.
We have been condemning and deploring such acts as these for a long time now. And as we do so, we have been showered with condemnations from our friends. In the end, what have we gained? Nothing. We don’t need this kind of reaction — plenty of condemnations followed by tight security measures, checkpoints, intelligence reports and mobilizing the security forces. All these are temporary measures, tranquilizers that might succeed in suppressing a pain that will soon return. Prevention is always better than cure. To find a better cure, we have to look for root causes. Treatment must involve the home, the school, the media and all civil establishments — and must begin from bottom and move up rather than the opposite.
To begin with, we must deal with this kind of closed and narrow extremist thinking and the people behind it as a reality; it is a disease that must be cured without delay in order to avoid further problems and complications. If we continue to do no more than condemn and express shock and disbelief that such things could happen here, the extremist tendencies will surely increase. And when they do, we will probably find that what has happened is just the beginning of something far worse than we have ever imagined.
Arab News From the Local Press 19 May 2003
