Saudi Professor Ahmad bin Rashed Criticizes Arab Media for Lack of Support of Suicide Bombers (Archival)

The following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Ahmad bin Rashed bin Said, professor of political communications at King Sa'ud University:

Dr. bin Said: There are great flaws in the printed media, which distanced people from it and greatly damaged its credibility A– paralysis controls these newspapers, people are appointed as editors or publishers not necessarily because of their skills, but due to their connections. Because the ruling elite is satisfied with them or because of their connections with influential people.

Some clerics, for example, rule that the operations in Palestine are useless, and they call them "suicide operations." Some of the major Arab newspapers call the operations in Palestine "suicide operations." One newspaper wrote on it front page that Rim Al-Riyashi was "The first [female] suicide bomber from the Al-Qassam brigades." They provoke us: they challenge our values and our culture. These people don't belong to us. They are foreigners. But there is an alternative press that says "This is a wonderful heroine who won a victory and set an exampleA…" It's only natural for me to turn to Internet forums and respond. But if I wrote to a newspaper and asked why it used "suicide bomber" and not "seeker of martyrdom," it would not publish the response. It definitely would not publish this. And if it does, it would do it in a minimal wayA…