Recently, the already troubled relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia have deteriorated further, following harsh attacks on Saudi Arabia in the Syrian press. These attacks were a reaction to the Interfaith Dialogue Conference held recently in New York, which was initiated by the Saudi king and which included Israeli conferees, and to the renewed discussion of the (Saudi) Arab Peace Initiative for resolving the Middle East conflict.
As part of the attacks, the website Champress (www.champress.net ), which is affiliated with the Syrian government, published a photo of Saudi King 'Abdullah apparently drinking a toast with U.S. President George W. Bush, as well as an article critical of the Saudi king accompanied by an offensive image depicting him as a camel.
In response to the criticism evoked by the Syrian media campaign against Saudi Arabia, Champress editor 'Ali Jamalo published, also on the website, an even more provocative piece justifying the attacks and stating that Syrians must not remain silent in the face of the Saudi attempts to "undermine Syria's stability."
Following are excerpts from Jamalo's article: [1]
"I Am Not Surprised at [the Behavior of] This Bunch of Lowbrows, Who Are In Crisis And Are [Therefore] Aiming Cheap, Empty Slurs at Their Country and Its Leaders"
"Articles published in recent days by Champress.net about Saudi Arabia and its peculiar king evoked some reactions, both inside and outside [Syria]. I received letters and phone calls from people interested in the matter - friends, friendly enemies, and [other] readers. [Some] praised [our articles,] while others condemned them, depicting them as a precedent that may, in the long run, harm Syria's relations with Saudi Arabia, which are troubled as it is.
"There were also some bold curses and threats by 'anonymous' individuals, whose identity is well known, and attacks by some Saudi websites, including that of [former Syrian vice president] 'Abd Al-Khalim Haddam, who is no longer ashamed of the despicable role he is playing in harming the interests of his country in the service of the Saudi riffraff and their lackeys, the greenhorn Lebanese politicians.
"I am not surprised at [the behavior of] this bunch of lowbrows, who are in crisis, and are [therefore] aiming cheap, empty slurs at their country and its leaders. That is their role, and for it they receive humiliating wages from the kingdom of flying dust, yellow death, and racial discrimination [i.e. Saudi Arabia].
"This wild campaign [against us] by Haddam and his cronies [only] proves that we are doing the right thing by condemning the policy of the gang that rules the Arabian Peninsula. The cheap curses, lies, and accusations do not merit a response...
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"[Still], there are some questions that I would like to present to the public whose intelligence and wishes I respect:
"Why should we keep silent as the Saudi kingdom allows its media to malign our country and its leaders? Why should we keep silent when [various media outlets] - including Al-Arabiya [TV], [the liberal website] Elaph, [the Saudi London dailies] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and Al-Hayat, and the [Lebanese] Al-Mustaqbal daily and TV channel, owned by the Al-Hariri family - invent lies and fabrications, and malign our official media outlets, which, [unfortunately], are resting on their laurels, presumably preoccupied with the vicious imperialist attack [on Syria]? Is there a more vicious imperialist attack than [one of] instigating civil strife, telling lies, fabricating evidence and besmirching the reputation of Syria and its president?"
"Why Should We Keep Silent While the Saudi Government Sponsors Thieves and Hooligans Who Call Themselves 'The Syrian Opposition[?]'"
"Why should we keep silent as the Saudi government sponsors thieves and hooligans who call themselves 'the Syrian opposition,' and funds them in order to sabotage Syria from within and undermine its stability by spreading tired old rumors of sectarian [strife] which the Syrians have disregarded from the very first?
"Why should we keep silent as the Saudi king sends people to condemn French President Nicolas Sarkozy for hosting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad? What insolence!
"Why should we keep silent as His Majesty funds the Salafi terrorist gangs in northern Lebanon and exports death into Syria?
"Why should we keep silent as the Saudi king drinks a toast with the murderer Bush in the White House?
"Why should we keep silent as members of the [Saudi royal] family dance with that killer, that mass murderer [i.e. Bush], who has brought ruin upon the region, violated our honor, widowed women, and orphaned children?
"Why do we keep silent as, under the pretext of interfaith dialogue, this king holds meetings with that terrorist, [Israeli President Shimon] Peres, and with the Mossad agent, [Israeli Foreign Minister] Tzipi Livni, [thereby] breaching the [Arab] boycott on Israel, which is still occupying land, murdering innocents, arresting honorable people and employing every kind of international terrorism?
"Why do we keep silent as that feebleminded old man toys with the stability of our country?
"Why? Why? A thousand times why? In these circumstances, is silence not a crime? In light of all the above, I am sure that it is our primary interest to condemn this despicable rabble..."
The following images accompanied recent articles on Champress. The first shows Saudi King 'Abdullah apparently drinking a toast with Bush, and is captioned "Your health, Servant of the Two Holy Places." The second presents the Saudi king as a camel.
Endnote:
[1] www.champress.net, November 11, 2008.
