JAFFA, Israel – Saudi public opinion has been reeling from Monday’s deadly bombing at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, considered the second-holiest site for Muslims.
Many accused the Islamic State, which experts say likely commissioned the attack, of stopping at nothing to wage jihad, including murdering Muslims at holy sites.
However, one Saudi journalist and novelist, Abdullah Ben Bakhit, caused a stir with a tweet suggesting terrorist suicide bombers blow themselves up because they are deprived of art and literature: Bakhit tweeted “A young man deprived of music, art and literature and expected to hate women. A young man whose heart is immune to love, what other option has he except blowing himself up?”
News Flash responded: “And you, why didn’t you blow yourself up? You live in the same society.”
Faysal also retorted: “I didn’t blow myself up, but I feel I want to blow myself up in you! I wasn’t annoyed by the songs and cinema, but I was annoyed by the use you made of them to annoy me.”
He later added: “So what you’re really trying to do is say that our society bans art and hates women! You’re a liar. If what you say was true, why would schools teach art?”
“You’re a liberal agitator, one of those responsible for our kids going astray and becoming easily influenced,” Abu Sarah tweeted. “This is what you write on the last night of Ramadan. May Allah curse you!”
Huda wrote: “Don’t listen to him. For them, like IS, this is a happy moment. Now they feel free to claim that it’s all about banning music and cinema.”
Fahad responded: “You’re right, these are crooks who exploit terrorist attacks for their goals. They are devoid of any patriotism or faith.”
Dr. Sunhat lashed out: “You piece of retarded liberal, you say oppression and the absence of theatre and cinema are the cause of the emergence of IS! How shallow… So why did so many IS fighters come from Europe?”