June 20, 2004
TERRORIZING THEMSELVES INTO OBLIVION:
Al Qaeda terror riles Saudi public: The grisly nature of the latest attacks seems to have cost local militants significant support. (Faiza Saleh Ambah, 6/21/04, CS Monitor)
The kidnapping and beheading of American Paul Johnson Jr. marks a turning point in Saudi public opinion against his Al Qaeda slayers.Celebrations broke out at the news Friday night that Abdelaziz al-Miqrin, the man responsible for Johnson's death, had been killed. It was the first time in the kingdom's 13-month fight against terrorism that ordinary citizens expressed spontaneous joy at security forces' success.
"Whatever their disagreements with the United States, however much they are against US support for Israel or the war in Iraq, Saudis feel that Americans and foreigners in general should be able to feel safe in the kingdom," says Turki al-Dakheel, who hosts a show on the Al Arabiya network. [...]
[T]he public's awareness of Johnson's decade in the kingdom and his sympathy toward Islam - as well as an appeal by a Saudi colleague praising him as a good man - made his violent death particularly distasteful.
"There was general shame at what was happening, a collective feeling of guilt that innocent foreigners that had come to our country not to kill us, but to work, were abused here," says Mr. Dakheel.
Indeed, Saudi businessman Zaid al-Sulaiman issued an open letter in Arab News last week, stating, "To every foreigner working in this country, I repeat that you are in your country. And we will not leave the job of protecting you, and your safety, to security men alone."
Dakheel received more than 30 messages from friends congratulating each other on the "end of that bloodthirsty terrorist." And crowds cheered police at the Malaz neighborhood where Mr. Miqrin and three other Al Qaeda linked members were killed. Abeer Hamza, a housewife, said, "It was the best news I heard in a long time. He had put us through a very scary period. I feel safer with him dead."
Imagine the contempt you have to have for your own religion to think that you'll win the favor of the faithful by committing the sorts of acts al Qaeda does. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2004 6:01 PM
Isn't this like the 12th "turning point" for Islamic support of Al Qaeda? It's been pointed out here many times the Saudia Arabias, Syrias, etc. need to condemn this stuff instead of supporting it.
Do they truly support it or are the newspaper-article-writers (can't call them journalists) just spinning it that way?
There was an article in our local Sunday paper yesterday that was read, "Saudi campaign against extremism having little impact." It was written by Salah Nasrawi (AP). The article actually begins by defending the headline but by its end says the total opposite. I guess many in the media think most people won't read the whole article.
Posted by: Bartman at June 21, 2004 8:56 AM"[M]any in the media think most people" can't read.
They certainly believe that of folks that vote for GWB.
Posted by: Uncle Bill at June 21, 2004 10:10 AMIt's only contemptuous if the religion isn't contemptible.
It's like gymnastics at the Olympics. Style points are a matter of taste. I didn't notice Saudis complaining when buses of schoolchildren were blown up in the name of their religion.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at June 21, 2004 7:13 PM