Arabs Count the Cost a Year After Sept. 11 Wed Sep 11,12:27 PM ET By Edmund Blair
CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) - An Egyptian grandmother seemed to speak for many Arabs on Wednesday's anniversary of Sept. 11 as she voiced sympathy for U.S. victims of the attacks but anger that her own Arab people were suffering from U.S. policies.
"I feel sorry for the innocent people who died, but I feel sorrier for the millions of our innocent people who have died and who are still dying or living miserable lives because of America," said 65-year-old Zohra Ramadan, as she lined up at a bank in bustling Cairo.
When Arab hijackers slammed planes into U.S. landmarks one year ago, killing more than 3,000 people, it unleashed a fierce U.S. "war on terror" that many on the streets of the Arab world believe has simply targeted them and other Muslims.
"Islam is the real victim of Sept. 11. For many, it has become a religion that supports terrorism, which of course it does not," said Mohammed Abdullah al-Gabr, 55, a businessman in Saudi Arabia, whose country was home to most of the hijackers.
Many also see Palestinians as victims of the U.S. campaign. Labeled "terrorism" by Washington, many Arabs see Palestinian actions as legitimate resistance to Israeli occupation.
"Now they look at the Palestinian people and compare them with Osama bin Laden ( news - web sites). They see us as terrorists, and not as people who want to fight, who want to get their freedom," said Riad Moussa in the West Bank city of Ramallah. As Washington now appears to be turning its military might from Afghanistan ( news - web sites) to Iraq, popular anger in the region has risen.
ARAB ADVICE IGNORED
"As rhetoric heats up against Iraq, the U.S. is brushing aside the sage counsel of Arab leaders that violence only begets violence -- perhaps the most concrete result of the ongoing 'war on terror,"' wrote daily Jordan Times in an editorial.
The newspaper said that many opportunities since Sept. 11 to build ties between the United States and moderate Arab countries and fight terrorism have been squandered amid "an unfortunate jingoistic policy of the Bush administration."
Arabs worry an attack against Iraq, which the United States accuses of trying to develop weapons of mass destruction, will cause chaos in the region and add to the misery of a country still under embargo since the 1990-1991 Gulf war ( news - web sites) over Kuwait.
In Baghdad, people blamed U.S. foreign policies for the Sept. 11 attacks, but expressed their sympathies to the families of the victims.
"Had it not been for America's hostile foreign policy against people, this (the attacks) would not have happened, and no one would have harmed America," said Ahmed Hussein, a school teacher.
"Yet, I really feel pity for the events of Sept. 11 and sympathy with the relatives of the victims," Hussein said.
"I believe that anyone who has a conscience cannot be pleased with such a calamity and that nobody feels happy by harming others," he added.
Shopkeeper Salman Muhammed said: "As the world commemorates the first anniversary of Sept. 11, we hope that the United States would benefit from this hard lesson and start to review its policy of aggression and be a friend to other peoples."
KUWAIT POLL
Even in Kuwait, a staunch Washington ally since the war, anti-Americanism has increased. A recent opinion poll showed about 74 percent of residents in the oil-rich state saw bin Laden, suspected mastermind of the attacks, as a hero.
One Kuwaiti school teacher, who said he was once a big supporter of President Bush ( news - web sites) but no longer, said the attacks had changed the world to the "rule of the jungle."
"The proof is that America claimed democracy, equality and freedom but now it is just like any other Arab country."
Meanwhile, mobile phone text messages have been sent around Kuwait and other Gulf Arab states with a picture of bin Laden and New York's World Trade Center towers carrying the caption: "Many Happy Returns."
Ahmed al-Mutairi, a 38-year-old merchant in Riyadh, said one of the biggest casualties was the reputation of Saudi citizens.
"We were welcome in all the countries of the world. We were not searched at airports or anything of that sort but now, just because we're Saudis, we are treated totally differently."
A few still cling to conspiracy theories to explain events a year ago that have sent shockwaves through the region.
"I have a feeling that America and Israel planned to do such things," said Fatima, 52, an Egyptian engineer who said the United States wanted an excuse to control Middle East oil.
But for all the anger at the United States, many argue that winning over the world's only superpower may still be the only way to resolve problems that beset the volatile region.
"I want to send my condolences again to the American people despite the administration's bias in favor of Israel. I want to tell them we also suffer from terrorism and we also need your help," said Mohammad Rezik, 29, a Palestinian teacher in Gaza.
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