اخواني واخواتي
هذه النسخة المترجمة للبيان .
نامل من له ملاحظة ابدائها بسرعة لان الصفحة الاولي بالفاكس الان .
عموما يمكن يكون هناك نسخة معدلة حتي بعد الارسال
In the Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful
Our American cultured friends,
We would like to exchange opinions with you and clarify some of the questions stated in your letter. This document contains answers for your questions, who were and represents the opinion of Arab and Muslims cultured persons represented in the "tent forum" (Muntada al khayma). We assure that the information and ideas contained in this document represent the opinion of the great majority of Arab and Muslim cultured persons. They represent also the opinion of all persons signing this document in absolute freedom and without any pressure or instruction from anybody.
Your letter to us has contained many points of mutual approach which can assist in bridging or narrowing the gap existing between us, which has become wider after 9/11 tragical event. We appreciate your positive stance towards Islam, particularly your recognition that Islam is a sublime and great religion embraced by above 1.5 billion persons around the world, and that 10 million of them are American. This recognition about Islam is the right way to arrive at agreement points regarding most of your questions.
Clarification foreword:
We can begin from the first dispute point, in order to work together ,towards bridging its gap. The point is what you mentioned that our Islamic societies in Saudi Arabia in particular and other Arab and Islamic countries in general foster terrorism (or jihad violence as you called) and effectively participate, in growing and spreading it. We would like to assure the incorrectness of such claim because there is nothing called "jihad violence". There is "holy jihad" for self-defense which requires better understanding. To clarify the difference, let us review the following simple introduction: Arab and Islamic countries fell down under western imperialism, in particular, for a long time. However, there is no need to recount the details. For sure, you are well - acquainted with such historical events and details, particularly those of the begging of last century, which forced us to defend our land, religion, language and dignity. By such, holy jihad and self-defense efforts, most of Arab countries ( e.g. Algeria, Libya, Syria…etc) were freed from that hateful imperialism accompanied with plundering and intentional vandalism which left these countries under poverty and ignorance. Even our language was not safe from interference and westernization. Moreover, destructive wars and frequent coups which happened in our region through the influence of western intelligence agencies had inactivated the course of growth and development of environment, individuals and civil community. Such painful situation had influenced nearly all Arab and Islamic countries.
What is happing in Palestine now under the world sight and hearing had brought back the hateful image of western imperialism. Israel, which receives unlimited material and immaterial support from your country, the United States, is committing all actions of killing, expulsion and destruction of homes and farms in Palestine. Your government always resorts to deny and condemn any action of self-defense taken by the oppressed Palestinians and describe it as terrorism. Defense by Palestinian armless people and children comes as a natural result of subjugation, despair and daily suffering. Under such difficult and humiliating conditions religious jihad is the only way for salvation. It can bring victory and liberation or martyrdom which, for us as muslims, is an accepted option when we are forced to do so (one of such cases is the situation seen in Palestine now). The more Israel practices its actions of violence and terrorism, the more the Palestinians are pushed to seek martyrdom.
We believe to live with dignity or die as martyrs. By saying this, we are not trying to elude answering your question but to provide a firm mutual ground to make our debate heard and understood by both parties. Thus, we would like to confirm firstly that "jihad" (let us call it self-defense to protect souls, land and religion) in such meaning is a legal right not terrorism as you insist to call it in your letter. If you insist on such naming we believe that our debate is useless. We have to agree on this point in accordance with the international legislations, including those of the United Nations, which permit self-defense to protect peoples` souls, land and freedom. The recent case of east Timor is good evidence on this.
The United Nations and all western countries lined up against Indonesia and supported east Timor's independence. This is an important point for our debate, because it can provide us with concurrence points in the light of similar facts.
Why Saudis:
You asked why 15 out of the 19 persons who attacked American were Saudis. You were supposed to ask: why those persons did that. The fact that 15 cheated Saudis were among them does not mean at all that we, as people or government, support violence and terrorism and seek to spread them.
We request you to turn back to the period of 80`s and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. From this point we can start to answer your question. Saudi kingdom and all Islamic countries as well as USA and Europe supported Islamic "Jihad" against the soviet invasion for one main purpose which was liberating that Islamic country from invasion.
It must be frankly said however, that it was not possible to dismiss the soviets from Afghanistan without the effective American support with weapons and strategic plans, and through overlooking sometimes or agreeing and blessing at other times the support provided by Muslims from various countries to the Afghani "jihad". You can review the documents of your departments of state (Ministry of Foreign Affairs.) and Pentagon to be acquainted with the details of this issues.
Following liberation of Afghanistan from Soviet invasion, the course of "jihad" took a wrong way when internal fighting became the way of action by various factions. Such approach had created many thought and directions and some of those persons
inclined to extremism and exaggeration against the presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia. Some of them considered the American force as occupiers in Saudi Arabia. That is not right, but extremism and exaggeration took them far in a wrong direction. Whether those Saudis who attacked America were 15 or more, this issue doesn't concern us at all. We are not responsible for this extreme attitude which includes also refusing the presence of American forces in Saudi Arabia during and after freeing Kuwait. We attempted to correct their wrong attitude by all means. Our intervention pushed many of them to leave the kingdom. But why they are Saudis? The answer is because they are Saudi nationals. We don’t believe this is enough reason to make us responsible for their actions and thoughts. Particularly, because they committed their terrorist action from your country under the sight of your security authorities. If there is a question to be asked, it must be directed to your security and intelligence agencies. The question must be: where were they when such action happened ? The committed attack was an action which needed a long time of planning, preparation and organization. This suggests that your security agencies must bear all the responsibility for their error. Any attempt to charge others with such error means escape from your facts which are based on different and conflicting concerns being against the American people's interests. Such contradiction in opinion and concerns made the existing American Administration try to draw its people's attention outside the country in order to become the world's armed police under the pretense of fighting international terrorism and attempt to shake ruling regimes in some world countries like Iraq. This terrorism which is accused by America now was sustained and trained by it one day. Will your administration which is preparing to spend $50 billion to wage a mad and useless war on Iraq recover its mind? Such war can produce more feelings of hatred against your country's concerns.
However, why the 15 Saudis committed that action is some question which we, like you, have no answer to it, because we don’t know its conditions and details and you know that we don’t know. You can ask the authorities dealing with these affairs if possible. As we have said before, exaggeration and extremism were a source of suffering to Saudi Arabia before any other country, either by the explosions which happened in our country and claimed innocent victims or by other disastrous happenings which you know their details.