Saudi columnist: Cause of jihad obvious
Fares Bin Hazam says, 'We do not have courage to face truth; instead we make excuses and blame outsiders'
In the column, which appeared in the Saudi al-Riyadh newspaper, and translated by MEMRI, Fares accused Saudi society of being in denial over the true reasons behind jihad attacks and recruitment.
"Our story with Afghanistan will never end, so long as the 'duty of jihad' continues to beat through the heart of society, in the mosques on the preacher's pulpit on Fridays, and on the internet," Hazam wrote.
"The call to study the reasons (behind jihad) is most repulsive, and is a tasteless joke, (because it presumes) these reasons are hidden, and that we are not aware of our situation. It assumes that we must investigate to find out why (our youths) went, and are still taking part (in jihad), time after time. The reasons are obvious, many of us know them. There is no need for a scientific investigation in order to uncover them," he added.
"Do we lack the courage to deal (with this problem) because the reasons are known? (In my view) Yes. This lack of courage has been on display since we invented the 'imported ideology' excuse, and began waving it at every opportunity. I don't know where (these ideas) have been imported from, as we were the ones who sent the youths (to Afghanistan)? This problem won't end as long as the 'imported ideology' excuse exists," Fares wrote.
'Jihad applies to Saudi Arabia too'
Describing the call for "jihad in Palestine" as a means "to throw sand in the eyes," Fares said the aim of some Saudi Islamic preachers was to wage jihad against their own Saudi government.
"Some mosque preachers, those who are afraid of the power of the censor, deceive him through hidden incitement, calling for jihad in Iraq or Afghanistan. In the course of the sermon, they talk about the virtues of jihad, without defining a geographic area. Their words are general and can be applied anywhere, even in our country. And we say 'amen' after the preachers calls for help for the 'holy fighters' in our land."
'I made a big mistake'
Al-Riyadh also interviewed a Saudi youth, Sa'ad Bin Ibrahim al-Bidna, who went to Afghanistan in order to take part in jihad, but was arrested in Pakistan and handed over to the United States .
"Many won't believe that I wasn't religious, although I made sure to pray. But the enthusiasm and zealotry burned in the hearts of the youths, and unfortunately I followed certain fatwas (religious decrees) published on the internet, which called on youths to set out for jihad in certain areas.
"They tempted them with talk of the size of the rewards, the status of martyrs in heaven, and the virgins awaiting them. These fatwas influenced many uneducated youths, who cannot check their authenticity," al-Bidna said in the interview, also translated by MEMRI. "I didn't consult anyone, and I made a big mistake," he added.
