Issue No.587
Opinion
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23 -29 May 2002 Issue No.587 Opinion |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
A letter to Bush
By Naguib Mahfouz
In response to all the hubbub surrounding my alleged letter to Bush I can say only that I have never sent President Bush a letter. I have forwarded no message, at least not in any direct way.
All that happened was that a German journalist asked me, during an interview, what I would say to Bush if I were to write him letter. And I replied to the question, specifying my position on American Middle East policy, speaking for the Palestinians and against Sharon. It was after this that I was regaled with questions: did you write to Bush? Did you defend suicide operations targeting Israeli civilians?
Civilians on both sides fall prey to violence in the Holy Land. Women, old people and children who bear no arms lose their lives on a daily basis. This is tragic, whether it applies to Israeli or Palestinian civilians. So a distinction must be made between suicide operations and their objective. Defending one's homeland is a noble objective and self sacrifice is noble in such a cause.
Freedom fighters, defending their homeland, deserve our admiration, sympathy and support. Whether they should direct their operations at military or civilian targets is an altogether different issue. Nor is it acceptable to destroy Palestinian homes over the heads of their inhabitants: this is terrorism. Israel's military incursion is terrorism. What else can it be called?
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
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