Saudi envoy says there's difference between Hamas, Al Qaida
Riyadh's ambassador to Washington says Muslims were just as surprised at suicide bombings as anyone else.
By The Associated PressSaudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States said Monday that there is a distinction between suicide bombings carried out by Palestinians against Israel and the Islamist global terrorist network that has attacked Western targets.
"When you have people faced with desperation and a general absence of any justice or wherewithal, whether it is in terms of normal standards of living, education and so on, as you have seen happen in the occupied territories of Palestine, people will turn to desperate measures," Prince Turki al-Faisal said in remarks before the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.
The ambassador said that Osama bin Laden's "al-Qaida cult" had not taken root in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and the attacks were justified by groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad as "legitimate means of war under occupation."
For all the shock in the Western world about the suicide bombings on Sept. 11 and in Iraq, most Muslims were even more surprised, the ambassador said Monday.
The bombings were the result of a cultlike attitude fomented by Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden that ran counter to the central tenets of Islam, which holds that "killing one soul is like killing all of mankind," al-Faisal said.
"Inasmuch as the West was surprised, if you like, by this culture of death, I can assure you that the majority of Muslims were even more surprised because this culture of death runs counter to everything that Muslims hold dear to themselves," al-Faisal said.
In a wide-ranging discussion before about 200 people, al-Faisal said Saudi Arabian officials had spoken with "all parties" in Iraq so that they would come together for a national reconciliation effort, and said that education and jobs were now completely open to women in his country. Women, he said, were graduating more - and with greater distinction - than men from college.
The one topic he refused to discuss was Iran, saying that he was under instructions from his government not to.
On the issue of freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia, al-Faisal acknowledged that officials needed to do better in a country where Christians and Jews are often forced to practice their religion in secret.
But he also said Muslims felt a sense of injustice. Muslims, he said, believe in the prophets and holy texts of other religions. He asked why followers of those faiths don't do the same.
"All of the prophets of the Old Testament and the New Testament, we consider them to be our prophets," al-Faisal said. "Our question to Christians and Jews is that why don't you reciprocate and believe in our prophet as we believe in your prophets, why don't you accept our Quran as your book as we accept your Bible in its entirety whether Old Testament or New Testament?"
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Muhammad was not a prophet, as far as Judaism is concerned. To his credit, he was a king, who successfuly used his powers to rid his own and some other nations of idolatry. However, he did not establish circumcision for the Ishmaelites and Hagarites (descendants of our father Abraham) on the EIGHT DAY. They should also stop worshiping that stone in Mecca, and agree with the Talmud that Allah CAN make Jews PARTNERS in His Creation if He wishes. And most important: all Arabs must accept that they have NO PORTION in the PROMISED LAND from River to River, which solely belongs to ISRAEL!
The Wahabbi barbarians are the worst of the worst when it comes to supporting radical Islam's worldwide jihad - except when it comes to themselves. I am not the leaast bit surprised in their vote of confidence for Hamas and neither should you be. They are not friends of the US but pretend to be so they can continue to exploit our addiction to oil while giving tacit approval to those who would attack our cities. It's time for America to wise up and to see who the enemy is- Radical Islam in all its incarnations.
So the Saudis are upset that Jews and Christians don't believe in the Quran - they don't reciprocate as the Muslims do by believing in their Prophets. Well, he is a bit wrong here, because the Chritians believe that Jesus is god, and not a mere Prophet. Why don't Muslims just follow that? This brings me to wonder, why does he bring that point tot he table anyway? Is that a mild justification of disalowing Jews and Christians to practice their religion in Saudi Arabia orto bring "justice"? How does the fact that other people believe in something else from you brings "injustice"? This shows how ill-logical can the Muslim leaders/representatives be when it comes to religion and other matters. That's in addition to all the other problems that I have with this statement.
Saudis know the difference because they are the hotbed of Al qaida.The 9/11 murderers were almost all Saudi scum.As usual the USA invaded the wrong country.Saudi Arabia and Pakistan should have been attacked, not Iraq.But the Bushes are in business in the Carlyle Group with the Saudis, so that was never going to happen.Wankers.
Lie.Nothing difference between hamasand Next saudi empire AL QAIDA.Do they believe in two kind of Quran.Both groups believe in destruction of israel.
Sorry, Haaretz, interview with Prince Turki took place on Monday, the 13th
The Saudis are right, there is a difference between Hamas and al-Qaida, although they are wrong about what the difference is... The difference is that the Saudis fund Hamas and that Hamas is only interested in wipping Israel and the Jews off the map, where as al-qaida wants to wipe everyone off the map ALL the infidels, INCLUDING the Saudis!!
It is very disappointing to read that Prince Turki al-Faisal said in front of two hundred people that homocide bombings against Israel are acceptable. It is all the more disappointing since in an interview with Charlie Rose he praised the PA authority President Mahmoud Abbas for his moderation and for his willingness to solve the conflict through peaceful means. Prince Turki also expressed regret that the world community had not supported Mahmoud Abbas whom he considers, according to this interview, to be a legitimate leader of the Palestinian people. Hopefully, the interview given by Prince Turki to Charlie Rose on February 12 is the true reflection of his beliefs and that of his government.
'The one topic he refused to discuss was Iran, saying that he was under instructions from his government not to' What a telling point! It shows you whos Saudis greatest threat is and why the Americans will support the Saudis against Iran. Strange bedfellows.
We're both making the world a safer place by getting rid of terrorists. They're no religion of peace.