It has become evident that a media campaign has been launched against Saudi Arabia. We don’t need magic to know who is behind this drive, as it coincides with the Kingdom’s recent political moves. The aim of this campaign is to undermine Kingdom’s growing influence in the region. Of course, these developments have annoyed certain parties, who cannot tolerate a strong Saudi role in regional matters.
This propaganda campaign is an attempt to blackmail Saudi Arabia and exert pressure on it to push it out of the regional political scene. The question remains: Is it a planned campaign? The answer is clear and we can see why some parties are threatened by Kingdom’s positive role in the region.
They don’t like the Saudi policies of reconciliation and Kingdom’s ability to convince conflicting parties to hold talks to achieve peace. The Saudi stance to defend legitimacy in Yemen, confronting terror in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain, opening up to Russia and Turkey, its refusal to intervene in the internal matters of other countries and support for the Palestinian cause, are all the reasons that have prompted anti-Saudi elements to launch this media campaign.
All this started with the publication of articles written by pseudo-intellectuals whose bias against the Kingdom is an open secret. All these writers share the same low-level sarcasm, mockery, generalization and dramatization of the Kingdom’s policies instead of providing positive and constructive criticism.
Other parties are also benefitting from this atmosphere such as the Syrian and Iranian media and their allies, who are known to underestimate the active Saudi role.
The campaign used some writers who are known for their anti-Saudi positions and asked them to come up with fake analyses to promote their lies. Their readers usually have a skewed understanding of Saudi Arabia.
Saudis are aware of the fact that the irreverent writings of some Egyptian writers won’t go unnoticed by the relevant authorities to protect the Saudi-Egyptian relations. I am convinced that the distorted image that Mohamed Hassanein Heikal tries to promote about Saudi Arabia doesn’t reflect the official Egyptian position or the people’s general discourse.
Although the Saudi-Egyptian ties witnessed some strains at times, the bilateral relations managed to overcome all crises. The ties between the two countries are based on mutual respect. These writers are working on their own agendas and their opinions don’t reflect the sentiments of the Egyptian masses. As Saudis, it’s enough to know that the justice system won’t tolerate slander and defamation. As Saudis, we know that such campaigns are not new and are usually carried out by some elements within the state. Yet, it’s strange when such attacks come from states that the Kingdom has good relations with but unfortunately they don’t take any action against elements trying to harm those ties.
The Saudi diplomacy, on the other hand, continues to promote principles of political and economic cooperation with the world’s countries and advancing friendships with all, as it values moderation and sensibility. It is this approach that prevents the Kingdom from getting involved in international disputes. This Saudi openness and prominent position was frowned upon by many countries who mistakenly thought that closeness with one state came at the expense of some other.
The attack against Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly politicized by troubled parties that suffer from opportunism and lack of conscience. These parties are moved by their interests and fear of Saudi Arabia’s powerful diplomacy that is stepping up efforts to meet today’s challenges.
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The writer is a member of the Saudi Shoura Council.
