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Accused Saudi appeals to US
Congress
RIYADH - A
prominent Saudi fundamentalist, accused of funding
terrorism through his work with Islamic charities,
has issued a message to the United State Congress.
Released to coincide with the Counter
Terrorism International Conference, the paper
responds to allegations that have been made
against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its
religious practices since September 11.
"I
believe that people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
should engage in an honest and candid dialogue
with the citizens of the United States and their
representatives," writes the author, Soliman
al-Buthi. "In this spirit, I have written this
letter. I hope to inform its readers and clear up
any misunderstandings that they might have
regarding the religious teachings in today's Saudi
Arabia."
Reviewed and approved by many
senior Islamic scholars and Saudi officials, the
letter confronts the allegations that Saudi
Islamic fundamentalism breeds violence and that
the religious practices of the kingdom are
inconsistent with modernity and contemporary
notions of human rights. "Our religious teachings
are not against modernity, progress or
development. Rather, this religious movement has
led to a general renaissance in the Arabian
peninsula and the Islamic world as a whole," it
reads.
Although no charge has ever been
brought against al-Buthi, he was recently
designated by the United Nations as a funder of
terrorism as a result of his volunteer work with
the al-Haramain Foundation. Al-Buthi writes,
"Rather than work with Saudi and other Muslim
charities to ensure transparency, accountability,
and best practices, the United States has imposed
counter-productive measures on Saudis beyond that
which even their own citizens would tolerate."
Pointing to the banning of collection
boxes for the poor and consolidation of all
charities and charity bank accounts under a single
agency as evidence of Saudi commitment to allaying
American concerns about charitable donations,
al-Buthi also warns, "The common United States
practice of freezing charities' and charitable
officials' bank accounts based upon 'secret
evidence' only serves to reinforce the image of
ending faith-based giving rather than truly
rooting out the evils of terror finance."
The letter concludes with an invitation to
the members of the United States Congress to adapt
and engage in an honest and open dialogue with the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, rather than forming their
opinions.
Based on the testimony of
others, al-Buthi invites the US Congress to
discuss their concerns directly with the Islamic
scholars themselves. "Instead of rushing into a
hasty judgment on this nation and these people who
have been your friend and ally for over 70 years,
I suggest to the members of Congress themselves
visit the kingdom and observe first hand our
religious systems and our way of life," he writes.
"True peace can only be based upon understanding." |
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