GERMANY: AL JAZEERA CHIEF COMES CLEAN

An Interview With Al-Jazeera Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Sheikh
Pierre Heumann
07 Dec 2006

Pierre Heumann of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche spoke with Al-Jazeera Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Sheikh in Doha. This revealing interview appears here in English for the first time.

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Mr. Sheikh, as the Editor in Chief of Al-Jazeera, you are one of the most important opinion-makers in the Arab world.

What do you call suicide bombers?

For what is happening in Palestine, we never use the expression "suicide bombing."

What do you call it then?

In English, I would describe it as "bombings."

And in Arabic?

Literally translated, we would speak of "commando attacks."

In our culture, it is precisely not suicide.

But instead a praiseworthy act?

When the country is occupied and the people are being killed by the enemy, everyone must take action, even if he sacrifices himself in so doing.Even if in so doing he kills innocent civilians?

That is not a Palestinian problem, but a problem of the Israelis.

You're avoiding the question.

Not at all. When the Israeli Army attacks, it kills civilians. An army should be able to distinguish between military and civilian targets. But how many innocent people did it kill in Beit Hanoun? And then they justify this in saying that the grenade went astray, that there was a technical problem or something. But who believes that?

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Read the whole thing, you will understand the moslem mind well afterwards...

Pertinent Links:

1) An Interview With Al-Jazeera Editor-in-Chief Ahmed Sheikh