There is no relationship between Islam and terrorism

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that negotiations are the only way for settling Palestinian-Israeli conflict, adding force has never settled any issue in the world.

The President said that killing unleash retaliation and the establishment of a Palestinian state is the biggest guarantee for Israel if it would like to live in peace and stability. The President said that the two sides should work together for establishing peace.

President Mubarak yesterday had an open dialogue with Muslim Ulemas after inaugurating Al-Azhar International Conference Centre and answered their queries.

The President greeted the Ulemas on the occasion of the advent of the Holy Fasting Month of Ramadan which will start in mid-November.

Asked on the events of September 11 and the attempts to link Islam to terrorism, the President said that the last month's attacks are unacceptable and no one can agree on the killing of innocent people without a reason.

Terrorism cannot be halted unless the Palestinian issue is solved, he said, adding that violence should never be associated with Islam and there is no link in the first place. He referred to the lawyer who entered a court room in the United States holding a machine gun and opened fire killing eight lawyers and the Oklahoma bombings and other incidents.

The situation in the Middle East is different. People have reached a state of deep frustration that leads to more violence between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

He pointed out to the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Camp David when former President Bill Clinton was in office, saying he was asked to help Arafat take a tough decision.

"I said that I would support any decision Arafat would take,'' said the President.

The problem at that time was A1-Aqsa Mosque, as Israel wanted it to be under its sovereignty. "I told Clinton that no Arab or Islamic nation would accept the Israeli sovereignty over the Holy Mosque as these territories were occupied in 1967."

"The U.S. Administration understands that, however, the Israeli intransigence still holds and the Islamic sanctities should be returned... Al-Aqsa should be returned.

During the Camp David negotiations, Arafat reached some concessions with the Israeli side. Israel would hand over Al-Aqsa to the Palestinian Authority and in return the Authority gives them the Wailing Wall and the Jewish neighbourhood. East Jerusalem is divided into a number of neighbourhoods: Jewish, Islamic, Christian and Armenian neighbourhoods.

"Arafat told them they could have the Jewish neighbourhood along with the Wall. But, no one would "dare" give up Al-Aqsa Mosque or Jerusalem," he emphasized.

Asked how to combat terrorism without a clear-cut definition that would take into account the legitimate armed resistance by the people suffering under terrorism.

President Mubarak said that in one of my recent interviews, I said that I believe what is going on in the Palestinian lands and the efforts to restore the land is not terrorism, otherwise we would deem the Israeli acts in the occupied territories as terrorism.

He noted that "some organizations were angry and sent asking me whether I accept murders in casinos and inside Israel and whether I didn't consider them terrorism."

"Is it right that Israel enact a law allowing the hunting down and killing of Palestinians or what they call activists in the occupied territories," Mubarak wondered.

He added that he has always been calling for convening an international anti-terrorism conference and the differences arising were concerned with whether to consider the operations that take place on occupied soil terrorism or not, said Mubarak, adding we don't consider them terrorism because whoever carries them out wants to restore his usurped lands."

"Some countries said they would not agree to hold an international anti-terrorism conference because Muslims then would say that what is going on in the Palestinian territories is not terrorism," added Mubarak.

"If all are searching for human rights, then we are all for human rights, but there are others who seek murder and bloodshed," stressed the President.

President Mubarak said that he does not expect the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, adding, "when things calm down we can seek a solution."

"The parties concerned have to sit together and discuss the implementation of the Mitchell report and start negotiating over the final status," said Mubarak.

"The strongest guarantees for Israel, if it wants to live in this region is the establishment of a Palestinian state, and without this there will never be any solution," he added.

On the European and US roles, President Mubarak said perhaps the United States is preoccupied at present with the issue of Afghanistan but there must be some measures or efforts by the European Union and the United States over the Palestinian issue, at least in order to tone down the violence and for all Palestinians and Israelis feel secure.

"We are not absolutely against security of the Israeli citizens but on the contrary, we want security for the Israelis because they are humans and our religion calls for this but we also want security for the Palestinians and this could be reached only through reaching a just solution for the Palestinian question," he said.

President Mubarak urged speeding up establishment of an Arab common market.