Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Saudi Envoy: &#34unbalanced treatment of Palestinian-Israeli dispute has damaged Western-Islamic relations | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Former Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland and ambassador-designate to the US, has said terror acts perpetrated by Al-Qaeda have changed the perspective of the world, and will continue to remain the contributing factor in establishing international relations.

In an address at the Society of the Philosophical, Political and Economic Studies at Oxford University, Prince Turki pointed out that the unbalanced treatment of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute had contributed to damaging the western-Islamic relations.

”Despite various initiatives extended by the international allies and the Arab world, yet peace has not been realized”, he said.

He noted that the disputes have provided the terrorists with some justifications to carry out their destructive activities.&#34 But, such international problems could never justify terror-acts.&#34

Concerning Al-Qaeda, Prince Turki said ”it is neither a religious nor political organization, and it is not based on the principles of Islam, but it is based on the ideology of an individual-worshipping category which exploits the sufferings of others for realizing its own goals.

&#34Such categories claim that if the problems of Palestine and Iraq are solved, then they will become satisfied and happy, but that is not the truth,&#34 he elaborated.

&#34It is true that the solutions of these problems will have an effect on the way they recruit their fighters, but it will become a kind of simplicity if we believe that they will stop the terror practices when these problems are resolved,&#34 he said,

Prince Turki underscored the importance of unifying ranks, and said &#34Al-Qaeda is working to create a wedge between peoples and religions.&#34

”Moreover, operations of combating terrorism should be carried out simultaneously at local and international arenas,&#34 he noted.

Slamming some extremist Islamists who exploited liberties in the British society to spread ideas of hatred, Prince Turki said ”the governments, notably the western governments should never shelter persons of ideologies of extremism, and they should never think that these extremists are victims, but in fact, they should consider them as aggressors.&#34