Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi

After a long argument by a Lebanese university professor, the news show host asked me: So, has Saudi Arabia finally decided to stop supporting terrorist organizations and join the US-led coalition against Islamist terror?



• What a loaded question! I exclaimed. “May I, as a journalism professor and a veteran journalist, give you a 101 lesson in the field?”



Then, without waiting for an approval, I went on to say: “Just because your other guest is maintaing that Saudi is sponsoring terrorism, you build your question on his accusation as an established fact? This is like asking a man, when did you stop beating your wife?



• But you could answer the question the way you like! He protested, and offered: You may take the time you wish, but please don’t accuse me of being biased!



• Well, well! So now you are angry because I criticized your professionalism, and you expect me to tolerate yours and your guest’s baseless and outrageous accusations?



• Sir, could you please just answer the question?



• You still don’t get it, do you! Yours was not a question, it was a judgment. You are supposed to be an honest and unbiased mediator between your pro-Iranian guest and me. Anyway, since my 101 lesson didn’t get through, let me answer your guest instead. Saudi couldn’t possibly be the sponsor of its arch enemy — Al-Qaeda and its affiliates.



In 1994, it was the first and most to be burned by terrorism. The Riyadh and Al-Khobar bombings were linked directly to Hezbollah, Iran and Al-Qaeda. Since then, it paid terribly for this unholy alliance.



Why was Iran the only country Al-Qaeda never attacked? As "Daesh" (Islamic State) letter to Althoahri explained, it was an agreement between the gangs to spare each others in exchange for support and safe passage between the Gulf region and Afghanistan.



IS was the creation of pro-Iran, Iraqi ex-prime minister Nuri Al-Malki and Syrian President Bashaar Al-Assad, to divide their opposition and portray them as terrorists.



As the Iraqi justice minister admitted on Iraqi TV, he received an Executive Order to release 1,500 Al-Qaeda prisoners, caught by Americans and their allied Sunni tribes, from the Abu Ghareeb prison. Those were the core of IS.



Iran also is the creator and sponsor of the Shiite terrorist groups, like the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Yemeni Hothies, and the Iraqis Asaeb Alhaq and AboAlfathel Alabbas.



Every action is met by a reaction that equals it in strength and in opposite direction. Now, we are in a vicious circle that is getting worse and worse, thanks to Iran's insistence on exporting revolution and shiiteism to its Arab neighbors.



My Lebanese news host didn’t like my argument and cut me off midway. What do you think, dear readers? Let’s share thoughts. Here’s your comments on my previous article "Terrorism--Its all their fault!":



Dr. Rasheid Small wrote: “In modern day megalomaniac behavior for financial and economic domination "terrorism" has become the primary tool for the implementation of strategies to achieve selfish goals under the guise of concern for the welfare of the general public.



“The instrument used to control consciousness development is the media, which is used to filter our perceptions and understanding of factual information through the glorification of decadent acts and behavior.



“What needs to be addressed is how has humanity allow the media to become the power it is today. The strategies are simple: refer to the experiences and signs of our forefathers and the foundations of moral values and beliefs. The answer is in re-evaluating the education system and its goals in terms of the true meaning and spirit of Islam.”



So right!



“Other ideas: explain manipulation-process to our youth, not concede hedonistic materialism, smug consumerism, let us also feed their soul with high ideals, give them the enthusiasm, the hope of a better world, a smart collective action, and — specially in France — let’s recognize that unrestrained freedom also makes the bed of decadence — argument that feeds deviant ideologies. When the world will be full of fervor and sacred, full of awareness, ideologues will have no control.” Hélène Mathieu-Venard



Listening



“We should listen to each other and learn that there is a difference between hearing and listening. Listening is a skill which becomes less and less frequent. Instead on focusing on how to find treatments for diseases, we spend billions in developing advanced weapons to kill each other. There are at least five nations who can destroy the Planet with one click of a mouse button.” Commentator



Young Minds



“The initiatives of Custodian of the Two Holy King Abdullah at home and abroad to foster religious harmony and counter terrorism is praiseworthy. However, much more is needed. It is important to expose young Saudi minds to modernity. Sending them abroad in cultural exchange programs to various non-Muslim countries would help them understand better about others’ cultures and religions.” Faiz Al-Najdi



– Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at kbatarfi@gmail.com. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi