Special Dispatch - Saudi Arabia/Jihad and Terrorism Studies, April/12/02,
No. 367

Saudi Government-Controlled Daily Praises Passover and Jerusalem Supermarket
Suicide Bombers

In a recent article for the Saudi government-controlled daily Al-Jazirah,
columnist Dr. Khalil Ibrahim Al-Sa'adat applauded the actions of 'Abd
Al-Baset 'Oudeh, the Palestinian who detonated himself at a Passover 'Seder'
in a Netanya hotel, and Ayat Al-Akhras, who carried out a suicide attack in
a Jerusalem supermarket. Following are excerpts from the article:[1]

Praising the Passover Bomber

"May Allah have mercy upon you, oh 'Abd Al-Baset 'Oudeh, mujaheed and
martyr, the quiet hero who infiltrated so elegantly and spoke so gaily. You
defended your religion, your homeland, and your people. You attached no
importance to [any] Arab summit; you did not wait for international
agreements; you did not follow television interviews; you did not pause
because of dead Arab and international reactions that neither help nor
hinder."

"Courageously, full of willingness to [wage] Jihad, and with faith filling
your heart, you executed your assignment and sacrificed your pure soul for
your religion and your homeland. The Israeli tanks did not strike you with
dread; the Israeli military, armed to the teeth with all types of modern
weaponry, did not move a hair on your head; the prime minister of this
aggressive state that occupies your land and your homeland did not frighten
you; Israeli intelligence, experts in terrorist espionage and treacherous
collaboration, did not expose you."

"You could not stand the killing, the destruction, and the exile carried out
by the Zionist army. You knew that the Zionists do not honor treaties,
promises, and agreements, and understand only the language of resistance and
Jihad."

"You rose up like the rest of your mujahideen brothers, took matters into
your own hands, and did not wait for Arab or international help that might
never arrive, and if it did would be no more than words of condemnation and
demand."

"May Allah have mercy on you, oh beloved of the Arab nation, oh 'Abd
Al-Baset. You evoked hope that had begun to dissipate; you restored life
that had begun to expire; you revived the Arab pride, valor, chivalry, and
sacrifice that had begun to die, and you caused pain to [the people] who had
begun to celebrate and sing atop the bodies of the children, youths, and
mothers of your people."

"You entered silently, with the faith and confidence with which Allah
inspired you. Despite all the obstacles, fortifications, and security
measures, you reached [the appointed place], sat down at one of the tables,
talked, told a few jokes, and laughed with them, and then Allah decreed for
you a martyr's death. What heroism, courage, and strength - almost unmatched
on the face of the earth!"

Praising the Supermarket Bomber

"May Allah have mercy on you, oh Ayat Al-Akhras. You left your home for the
path of martyrdom and Paradise. Your family knew not where you were headed,
and knew not that you had chosen the way of martyrdom. There was nothing to
stop you. You proceeded with a determination, will, and strength rarely
found, even impossible to find, in a 16-year-old girl."

"You sought not the counsel of the American, French, or Russian governments;
you sought not a green or red light from them; rather, you knew that the
hand of Allah is supreme, that soul-sacrifice is the highest form of Jihad,
and that he who sacrifices reaches the highest level of Paradise. You were
not tempted by and did not rejoice in the life of this world, oh beloved of
the Arab nations of 16 springs [i.e. 16 years]. Marriage was before you; you
were a girl engaged and looking forward to finishing your studies in order
to wed - except you chose Allah, Paradise, and martyrdom. You taught the
Arab nation a lesson almost never taught in the schools and universities,
and you breathed your last [breath] and evoked [in us] sensations that had
begun to disappear."

"You raised our heads high and told the oppressing world, biased towards
Zionism, that a young girl had infiltrated [into] Israeli society despite
the tight security closure, and had profoundly shaken it without tank,
missile, or rifle - [merely] with her small, pure soul. You say to us,
'Despair not; it is simpler than you think. Be filled with faith in Allah,
with a quest for Jihad and martyrdom.'"

"May Allah have mercy on you, oh 'Abd Al-Baset, Ayat, and all the male and
female mujahideen. We ask Allah that the angels welcome you as righteous
martyrs, and beseech Allah to give you the highest level of Paradise."
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[1] Al-Jazirah (Saudi Arabia), April 1, 2002.
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