Author:
Publication: Memri.org
Date: February 6, 2003
Arab media reactions to the Columbia
space shuttle disaster have been diverse. While several papers printed
editorials expressing sorrow and condolences, some columnists linked the
incident to America's war on terrorism, the anticipated war on Iraq, and
the Arab-Israeli conflict. A few mocked the tragedy, with particular emphasis
on the death of Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon.
"The American Space Program is Part
of the Scientific Heritage of Humanity" An editorial of the London-based
Saudi-owned Arabic daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat declared that "The shuttle's
fall shocked the entire world. The seven astronauts killed in this tragedy
represented the human race with their aspirations to unlock the secrets
of the universe. This is part of the collective dream that died with them..."1
The Jordanian daily Al-Dustour expressed
similar sentiments in its editorial: "There is no doubt that the crash
of the space shuttle Columbia is a shock to all humanity, not only the
American people."2 Also in Al-Dustour, columnist Arib Al-Rantawi wrote
about the displays of joy which appeared on Islamic websites. "Only the
sick and mentally feeble dance with joy at the Columbia space shuttle disaster.
This is not an occasion for gloating. After all, the American space program
is part of the scientific heritage of humanity..."
"The rejection of the 'nationalist
terrorism' theory behind the Columbia disaster apparently did not please
some, and they hastened to develop a theory of 'divine retribution' against
the arrogant infidels... Once again, the Arab mind was revealed as an unfathomable
storehouse of 'illogic,' as if we were a nation that does not learn from
its defeats and catastrophes and hastens to bring up myths at every juncture.
This is what happened in 1967; it recurred, tragically, in the Gulf War...
and here we are, repeating the same tales now."3
The Death of Israeli Astronaut Col.
Ilan Ramon "Is Enough to Arouse Joy in Every Heart that Beats Arabism and
Islam"
Most of the comments on the disaster
mentioned Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut. However, choosing
not to mention him at all was Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Reza Asafi,
who expressed "sorrow about the explosion of the Columbia space shuttle
in the skies of the U.S. and condolences [for] the American and Indian
crew members. Iran distinguishes between Iran-U.S. political differences
and scientific and human issues, and hopes that events of this kind will
not prevent the information centers from continuing their struggle to discover
the secrets of the universe."4
In an article titled "Ramon Can
Go to Hell," Hamed Salamin, a columnist for the UAE daily Al-Bayan, wrote:
"Feelings of sadness and joy intermingle at the sight of the fragments
of the American space shuttle Columbia scattering in the skies of Texas.
These conflicting feelings make those feeling them probe the obscurity
of their souls to seek out the reasons for the sadness and the joy... An
atmosphere of sadness and shock overcame the Israelis two days ago when
NASA announced [Ramon's] death... This is enough to arouse joy in every
heart that beats Arabism and Islam..."
"Perhaps the sight of the Columbia
shuttle's crashing in the town of Palestine, Texas reminds the Israeli
people of the daily tragedy of the Palestinians - of the sorrow, the blood,
and the massacres that the army of the [Zionist] entity carries out on
the occupied lands. But it would not appear that the vast majority of Israelis
have feelings for others... The Columbia disaster is a loss to all, even
though emotions are conflicting. Sincerest condolences to the American
people and to the families of the six American astronauts, and Ramon should
go to hell. There is no sorrow for him whatsoever."5
In a similar vein, Nur Al-Din Sati',
a columnist for the Lebanese pro-Syrian daily Al-Safir, wrote: "... Although
the disaster will not change imperialist American behavior across the world,
the loss caused by the crash of the Columbia is not restricted to America,
which will continue to be a center of attraction for the minds and geniuses
of the entire world, six of whom were lost two days ago; as for the seventh,
his expertise was in destroying homes and pinpoint strikes at civilian
targets, so he should not be classified [as a genius]."6
Al-Dustour columnist Bater Muhammad
'Ali Wardam criticized the American media coverage of the disaster: "...
The explosion of the shuttle did not cheer us; we share the American people's
sorrow over the death of the six American researchers and scientists. Naturally,
we feel no sympathy for the Israeli fighter pilot who bombed the Iraqi
reactor and participated in the 1973 war... But there was undoubtedly cheap
media exploitation of the Israeli astronaut's death in the explosion."
"I followed CNN's coverage, and
it shocked me that the expression of sorrow and horror regarding the Israeli
astronaut was much greater than that for the six Americans. The story of
his life and of the life of his family were presented on television, showing
how he took [into space] a picture by a girl [sic] claimed to have been
killed in World War II. The blonde CNN correspondent in Tel Aviv nearly
burst into tears when she spoke of the shock in Israel following the incident,
which was added to the [shocks of] 'Palestinian terrorism.' They had to
point out repeatedly that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East
and the most technologically and scientifically advanced country, which
enabled it to launch an astronaut in cooperation with NASA."
"What we are saying does not originate
from jealousy or from deprivation; in the Arab world we have excellent
scientists who surpass Israel's. NASA itself has hundreds of Arab scientists...
But the [coverage] attests to the spread of Zionism and of pro-Israeli
streams in the American media. Everyone tried to exploit this incident
to propagandize for Israel. The sorrow for the Israeli was much greater
than the sorrow for the six Americans - which is incomprehensible."7
The Americans May Think of Terrorists
and Rogue States Causing the Explosions
Some columnists ridiculed the tragedy,
such as Fateh Abd Al-Salam in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Zaman:
"... Had the explosion of the space shuttle taken place during liftoff,
like the Challenger, another reason would have been added for advancing
the war against Iraq. But it was destroyed on its return from space. Yet
it is not inconceivable that thoughts are arising in the American mind
about terrorists and rogue states on other planets."8
However, Khaled Ghalam wrote in
the Libyan newspaper Al-Zahf Al-Akhdhar: "... The Americans, whose administration
has set them at odds with the world due to its blind policy, found no one
to comfort them, even in this bleak moment... What will Bush say to his
people this time? Did bin Laden fly in a space shuttle like Columbia and
crash into it...? Or perhaps Hamas used short-range Qassam rockets to explode
it? Perhaps [the disaster was deliberate] so as to serve as a pretext for
Blix and Al-Barad'i to explain the danger of nuclear warheads that cross
the atmosphere and hit shuttles? ..."
"Our only condolences to the American
people are for its administration... which has lost human feeling and genuine
love in its attitude towards the world's governments and peoples."9
Hizbullah Secretary-General Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah Expresses His Happiness
In a speech delivered in Beirut,
Hizbullah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said: "What happened
yesterday is a message for all humanity, and especially for Arab and Islamic
peoples and the peoples of the Third World. This is a message to all those
who in recent years thought that the U.S. was God... America the superpower,
with its navy, its science, and its invasion of space threatens the Planet
Earth with war... Yet, yesterday it stood stunned as the space shuttle
exploded in the skies and fell to earth without anyone being able to do
a thing. Whether it wanted to or not, the U.S. stood submissive to the
will of Allah."10
Islamic Websites: "The Heart of
Every Believer Leaped with Joy at the Disaster of his Greatest Enemy"
Islamic websites offered myriad
displays of rejoicing, as well as an abundance of theories regarding the
metaphysical reasons for the shuttle disaster. Particularly notable was
the posting, on www.alfajr.com by Sheikh Dr. Ali Al-Tamimi , an American
citizen: "... The whole world heard about the shuttle crash. Undoubtedly,
the heart of every believer leaped with joy at the disaster of his greatest
enemy. In my heart arose some thoughts that I would like to share with
my brothers: First, the name of the shuttle, Columbia, is from Columbus,
who discovered the American continent in 1492 following the fall of Grenada,
the last of the strongholds of Islam in Andalusia. It is known that with
the discovery of the two American continents, the Byzantines, that is,
the Christians of Europe, exploited the resources of both these continents
in order to take over the Islamic world. With the fall of the Columbia,
a thought arose in my heart that this was a powerful sign that the supremacy
of the West, and particularly that of the U.S., which began 500 years ago,
is about to fall precipitously - Allah willing, as happened to the shuttle."
"Second, the shuttle crew included
an Israeli astronaut, about whom the Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. said
that he bore with him all the hopes and aspirations of the Israeli people.
Thus, these hopes and aspirations burned up, Allah willing, in the fall
and burning of the shuttle. Third, CNN announced at the beginning that
the shuttle fell near the city of Palestine, Texas. I said to myself: Allah
is great; thus, Allah willing, will America fall in Palestine. Similarly,
Texas is the state of the stupid president George Bush Jr., about whom
we hope, Allah willing, that, like the shuttle fell on his country, his
idiotic policy will collapse the foundations of his country on his head.
Fourth, in the president's eulogy, to the American people... he quoted
from the Book of Isaiah... I said to myself: Allah be praised, in this
book there is a prophecy regarding the coming of the Prophet Muhammad and
the destruction of the Jews at the end of time... Anyone who sought to
elevate the Jews on whom Allah has cast humiliation and misery... will
be struck by humiliation and by divine wrath..."11
Endnotes:
(1) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London),
February 3, 2003.
(2) Al-Dustour (Jordan), February
3, 2003.
(3) Al-Dustour (Jordan), February
3, 2003.
(4) Jumhoury-E Islami (Iran), February
3, 2003.
(5) Al-Bayan (UAE), February 3,
2003.
(6) Al-Safir (Lebanon), February
3, 2003.
(7) Al-Dustour (Jordan), February
3, 2003.
(8) Al-Zaman (London), February
3, 2003.
(9) Al-Zahf Al-Akhdhar (Libya),
February 3, 2003.
(10) AFP, cited by Al-Bayan (UAE),
February 3, 2003.
(11)http://www.alfjr.com/showthread.php?s=04daf6449394a453f362812e5f309d
4d&= threadid=130909, February 1, 2003.
