Tapes Of Wrath

By Janice Castro

Muslim extremists are widening their following in Saudi Arabia. Despite the kingdom's jailing of the 20 leading Saudi fundamentalists, tape recordings of their sermons seem to be everywhere. The fundamentalists maintain that American troops were sent to the gulf not to fight Saddam Hussein but to prepare for war between Christianity and Islam. The Saudi preachers also contend that Protestants from the West have been exploiting tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors to this end. They cite actions by American Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter as well as televangelists Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as "proof." Their advice to their followers: seek converts, especially in America; send Korans and money to Palestinian Muslims and urge them to procreate; and commission the best weapons that money can buy -- from Japan.