While Saudi officials complain about FBI efforts to investigate Saudi terrorism, World Net Daily has a new report stating that the Saudi terror crackdown is “just talk”: in fact, sources say that “Islamic radicals and Saudi leaders have ‘reunited’ to save the kingdom following a three-day meeting last weekend of royal family members, Muslim clerics and those sympathetic with Osama bin Laden.
“Crown Prince Abdullah and a group of more than 40 Saudi scholars gathered in Mecca for discussions on mediation between the government and al-Qaida. The meeting included a mentor of Osama bin Laden, Muslim theologian Safar al-Hawali, who denies claims that the recent Riyadh bombing could be considered jihad.
”’Our problem as Muslims is with those who seek to destroy us and our religion — and they are well known — not with the Arab and Islamic governments in our countries,’ al-Hawali was quoted as saying.”
Al-Hawali is secretary general of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign, which states: “The Muslim nation has been subjected to vicious aggression at the hands of the forces of tyranny and oppression, especially the Zionists and the American administration led by right-wing extremists.”
Meanwhile, “a second prominent Saudi cleric has renounced Islamic militancy and attacks against innocent people during an interview aired on state-run TV yesterday.”
And Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi writes in Arab News about the Istanbul bombings: “Whoever did this does not represent Islam, Arabs or any decent human being. This dirty deed was not committed in my religion’s, my people’s or my name.” He isn’t just mourning the Muslim victims, either: “I offer my wholehearted condolences to the families of the victims in the Turkish attacks, Jewish and Muslim alike.”
I am glad to see this. Just as in the case of the Turkish imams, I hope these words will be accompanied by actions, including the full renunciation of the doctrines of violent jihad that radical Muslims use to recruit and motivate terrorists.