A Saudi perspective on the 'Culture of Hatred' in the Arab world
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Tuesday, January 8, 2002
Following are excerpts from an article in the Saudi daily
'Al-Riyadh' by Abdallah Al-Ka'id, titled "The Culture of
Hatred":
"When a particular culture is characterized by negative
traits such as aggression, piracy, racism, or any other
repulsive term, it must be hated by the other societies,
except for those societies that share those very traits.
This is a natural reaction..."
"On the other hand, when the hatred takes root in a
particular society towards another society or nation [i.e.
Western 'hatred' for the Nation of Islam] for its beliefs,
for its way of life, or because it cannot come to terms
with particular traditions and customs - this cannot be
accepted!!!"
"For example, one cannot be amazed by the hatred of most of
the nations of the world for the 'Zionist entity,' because
of its history, replete not with human achievements but
with barbaric massacres, deceit, and evil conscience.
Hatred towards them is on the rise among the Arabs in
particular, because of what they suffer from the occupation
of the Arab state of Palestine, the catastrophes, the
cruelty, and the injustice that are known to all."
'Hatred of the Zionist Enemy Sucked with Mothers' Milk'
"For this reason, Arab infants - before they reach the age
of self-humiliation and submission - suckled hatred of the
Zionist enemy with their mothers' milk, and this hatred
cannot be uprooted despite all the talk about false peace
agreements."
"However warm the kisses, and however firm the handshakes,
their hearts are full of hatred, their souls are full of
rage, and their eyes glance away with loathing at the sight
of the flag of the Zionist entity flying in the heart of
[some] Arab capitals."
"Men of honor want to rip up the flag, to dirty it on the
ground. They want to expel these foreigners who came to our
land, so that our Palestinian brothers will live on their
land in peace and security, as do the other peoples. Don't
they have the right???"
'Our Hatred is Rooted in Our Souls'
"I am in no way preaching hatred or praising it as a way of
human behavior. But the hated individual or society must
examine itself so as to understand why it is this way,
since no society or individual can be hated in such a way
for no reason..."
"I will give a good example of how hatred for the Zionist
entity takes root in the souls of the Arabs... I once
attended an international conference on road accidents in
the military, held in Paris. With me was my colleague, one
of the enthusiastic young officers, whose mood changed when
he was informed that a man who had stood next to us in a
side conversation between meetings was a transportation
officer in the detested Zionist entity."
"My colleague raged, swearing that he would not stand next
to this criminal, talk with him, or enter the hall in which
he was sitting... He didn't calm down until I swore to him
that I hadn't known what citizenship that man held, because
he was in the company of officers from all over the world,
and that I myself was incapable of standing next to someone
whose hands were dripping with the blood of innocent
Arabs."
"These are our enemies, and our hatred towards them is
rooted in our souls, and the only thing that can remove it
is their departure from our lands and the purification of
their defilement of our holy places!!!"(1)
Endnote:
(1) Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), November 22, 2001.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an
independent, non-profit organization that translates and
analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles
and documents cited, as well as background information, are
available on request.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
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