(Washington Post) Senators Jon Kyl and Charles Schumer - The House of Saud has for decades played a double game with the U.S., on the one hand acting as our ally, on the other supporting a movement - Wahhabism - that seeks our society's destruction. Wahhabism is an extremist, exclusionary form of Islam that not only denigrates other faiths but also marginalizes peaceful followers of Islam. Wahhabism uses mosques and schools to indoctrinate mostly young people with a hatred of Jews, Christians, and traditional Muslims who reject this radicalism. Its goals are world domination and the destruction of its enemies. All 19 of the Sept. 11 hijackers were followers of Wahhabism. The Saudi government has conferred dangerous legitimacy on the Wahhabi sect. As scholar Bernard Lewis noted: "Without oil and the creation of the Saudi kingdom, Wahhabism would have remained a lunatic fringe." It is time for the U.S./Saudi relationship to be based on a mutual commitment to eradicate terrorism that must include effective efforts by the Saudi government to stop Wahhabi support of terrorism.
2003-08-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive