Arabs condemned Monday's assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Kuwait's National Assembly (NA) speaker, Jassem Al-Kharafi, in a statement to the press, said the principles of Sheikh Yassin "will remain live for the Palestinians despite what was carried out by the Israeli authorities." He voiced belief that "such events would aggravate the crisis, escalate reactions and bring to state of despair all those who worked hard to forge just and permnanent solutions".
In addition, Kharafi regretted "this grave casualty afflicted to both the Palestinian and Arab people", adding that "the Arab and Islamic people would never forget the principles of struggle that Sheikh Yassin ingrained within the Palestinian ranks."
An official source at the Yemeni government condemned the killing of Yassin. The source told Saba that "this terrorist act comes to reaffirm the terrorism of the racial state that is being committed by the government of Ariel Sharon in the face of the international efforts to restore a complete peace of the Arab-Israeli conflict."
The source added that "by using assassination policy against the Palestinian leaders would increase the violence and opposition against the Israeli policy."
In Jordan, Prime Minister Faisal Al Fayez condemned the assassination of Yassin. In a statement on Monday, cited by Petra news agency, the prime minister said that "we were astonished today by a dangerous Israeli escalation represented in the assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and a number of companions. "This is a another crime that is added to the crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, and forms a flagrant violation of all charters and norms," Al Fayez added.
"We in the government," the prime minister said, "condemn this ugly crime and affirm that such behaviour would increase the cycle of violence and instability in the region, lead to more bloodshed and undermine the opportunities of achieving just and comprehensive peace that the region's peoples seek to achieve."
"We, while we condemn this Hideous crime, condole the Palestinian people over the death of Sheikh Yassin and his companions," Al Fayez added. "We call on Israel to immediately withdraw from the occupied Palestinian lands and end the continuous killing of our Palestinian brethren".
The Jordanian prime minister stressed that the Jordanian government will continue its efforts on all levels and fora, and by all means to stop the Israeli violations, put an end to occupation and provide protection for the Palestinian people until the achievement of their legitimate rights.
Meanwhile, the government's spokesperson Asma Khader said in a statement to Petra, that the government views this massacre as a waste of opportunities to achieve just, comprehensive and permanent peace that puts and end to the Israeli occupation and guarantees the legitimate rights
of Palestinians.
Khader reiterated Jordan's position which rejects the policy of assassination adopted by the Israeli government, indicating that this only leads to more escalation and violence. She affirmed that this policy contradicts with Arab and international efforts that aim at achieving genuine peace that guarantees security and stability in the region." The government will make all necessary contacts on the Arab and international levels to deal with this dangerous escalation," the Jordanian spokesperson added.
Tehran on Monday also strongly condemned the assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin by Israeli forces, calling the "criminal" move as an instance of Israel's "barbarism."
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asefi, said
that the act is a clear instance of "state terrorism", indicating that for Israel there is no difference between a
Palestinian activist and an ordinary civilian or a spiritual leader.
Asefi said that the move further indicates that Israel is enemy of each Palestinian. According to him, "Undoubtedly, such move would unveil the ugly and unpleasant face of them (Israelis) before all the world people." Israel will gain nothing from such crimes and would further sink in the crisis it has itself created, added Asefi.
Unfortunately, said Asefi, the global community's indifference towards the injustices, committed against the oppressed Palestinian people, had made Israel more impudent, tempting it to repeat its crimes.
The global community and international organizations are expected to be more responsible than the past and confront Israel so as to halt its crimes, concluded Asefi.
In London, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw condemned the killing, describing it as "unacceptable... unjustified, and very unlikely to achieve its objective".
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
