'Are you Muslim? Give proof' (Account of attack on Saudi Oasis compound)
31/05/2004 07:25 - (SA)
A Saudi police helicopter flies over the Oasis compound on Sunday May 30 2004 where gunmen were holding a number of hostages before the Saudi security forces freed them.
Khobar, Saudi Arabia - The gunmen went from house to house, rifling through papers, studying home decorations for clues, asking probing questions as they hunted down foreigners to kill.
As they recounted Saturday's attack on offices, homes and a resort in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, survivors told of a careful, cold-blooded search for victims, followed by unthinkable violence. In all, 22 people died.
One hotel guest recounted how he hid under his bed, listening to the clinking of grenades on tiles before they exploded. Others recalled the terrifying questions: "Are you a Muslim? Give us proof." For an Iraqi-American engineer who identified himself only as Abu Hashem, 45, the ordeal began with the sound of gunfire as he was leaving the Oasis housing compound for work that morning. He rushed home, taking his wife and two children to a neighbour's house. He went looking for a security guard and came across four lightly-bearded Saudi men who looked 18-25 years old. "I asked them, 'Are you guards'. They said, 'We are'. Then they said, 'Are you a Muslim?' and I said, 'yes'. They said, 'Give us proof'," Abu Hashem recalled.
He quickly realised they weren't guards, and showed them his residency papers, which specified he was a Muslim. "Then they said, 'You are American', and I told them I am an American Muslim. They said, 'We do not kill Muslims"', and became polite, apologising for breaking into his home. Abu Hashem said they lectured him on following a proper Islamic lifestyle and told him: "We are defending our country and we want to take it from the non-believers." As he walked with them, Abu Hashem saw the body of a Western cook who had been slain. "The encounter was very painful because these guys had different attitudes," he said. "They have one attitude toward Muslims and another for non-Muslims. Islam does not sanction this."
Another resident of the Oasis compound, Abdul Salam al-Hakawati, a 38-year-old Lebanese corporate financial officer, said he, his wife and their two-year-old son hid upstairs after hearing gunfire on Saturday morning. Downstairs, he heard gunmen rummaging around before one said, "This is a Muslim house" - apparently seeing the framed Quranic verses on his walls. Al-Hakawati said a young man in his early 20s, carrying a machine gun and wearing an ammunition belt, came upstairs, spotted him and greeted him in Arabic. The young man asked if he was Arab and Muslim. When he said yes, al-Hakawati said the gunman told him: "We only want to hurt Westerners and Americans. Can you tell us where we can find them here?"
Al-Hakawati responded that he was new in the compound. The gunman said goodbye and, as he left, told al-Hakawati: "Our holy war is against Americans and Westerners, not against Muslims." Link to Article
I am the director of the website where SP2BF is associated and also a member of FR since 2001, lurker since ’99. I rarely post to any forums due to time constraints, but I am doing so now based on what I have read in this thread. I’ve tried to follow all of the TM threads because the individual research, diversity of ideas, collective brain storming and posting of thought provoking ideas is refreshing. Most posters to the FR TM thread are an asset to FR and to each other.
The controversy that originated over one of hundreds of postings of SP2BF, however, was disturbing. I won’t rehash old postings or open any old wounds, but there are a few things everyone posting and reading this thread should know. Due to our association, I viewed the PMs sent to SP2BF and was dumbfounded by what I read. Although she is a US born Caucasian (and has the ability to translate Arabic), she was called a sand n---, a traitor, a member of al Qaeda’s “white army” and other slurs by a handful of posters here in those PMs. Her patriotism was assailed, her intentions were questioned, and her integrity was insulted.
The majority on this thread are here without any personal agenda, as was SP2BF. You are great people for doing what you do, and FR should be proud to have you. To you folks, I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Freeper. Accordingly, I hope that you do not succumb to those who show up with an agenda and stir things up – you are too valuable as a team to let that happen.
Now there was a post a while back by someone who questioned the authenticity of sources when none are cited on a web site. To those who want to know the basis for not posting certain sources, such as Arabic links, please allow me to answer. Last week, I attended a meeting in DC with members of the FBI and JTTF. During that meeting, this very issue arose as a matter of discussion. It was concluded that based on our visibility (of our site), posting links as a matter of routine to specific Arabic sites could cause federal surveillance (if any, and we don’t know and will never be told who is under surveillance at any given time) to be adversely affected and current investigations to be potentially compromised. That is pure common sense, and we respect the federal authorities out of professional courtesy as well as our cooperative efforts to achieve the same goal. It is not a question of credibility, it is an issue of investigative rationale. We have no control over what anyone else does, and we are not in a contest with anyone, and it is not our place to watch what other sites do or don’t do. Frankly, we just don’t have the time.
I hope this clears things up, and to those who are involved in the tireless research in this war on terror, you have my admiration.