While today's Egyptian Gazette is critical of America's objective to export liberty to the Moslem world, Arab organizations are decrying the unflattering characterizations of Islam in the American press. And who is responsible for Islam's bad image in the West? The Jews, of course."The post-September 2001 US has failed to keep its image as the bastion of freedom squeaky clean. Since the terror September attacks, hundreds of Muslims have been rounded up in the US without trial. Their detention is largely seen as reflecting racial profiling. Washington has been, meanwhile, pressuring for overhauling religious education in the Islamic world, labouring under the illusion that militants and terrorists are the product of such textbooks. Besides being naive, this thinking has raised the hackles amongst both ordinary and intellectual Muslims. They perceive it as a meddlesome bid in what is rightly a purely internal affair."Besides, the misguided American policies in the aftermath of the September assaults have fueled the belief that Washington has embraced the twisted notion that Islam is the emerging enemy now that the Soviet Union has vanished. "Last week, Condeleeza Rice, the US national security advisor, angered Muslims when she said in an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper that the US was interested in the "democratisation or the march of freedom in the Muslim world". She went on to argue that the US values of freedom and democracy did not "stop at the edge of Islam"."Her pronouncements, besides being crude, reflect arrogance, reminiscent of the so-called white man's mission in the colonial era. Intentionally or not, Rice has lent "the US war on terrorism" a religious dimension."The US projects itself as the unchallenged sponsor of freedom on our planet and is in no way prepared to recognise other versions of democracy. In doing so, the US is making a grave and alienating blunder. Rice's uncalled-for patronising remark could not have been more untimely, given the image problem the American-style democracy itself is suffering."The Saudi Arabian English language daily Arab News didn't care for the Fox News Channel's idea of 'fair & balanced' reporting:"The Muslim World League yesterday blasted the continuing smear campaign by a section of the US media to tarnish the image of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and incite hatred against the divine religion and the Muslim community."Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the league, said Islamic communities around the world strongly condemned the Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" program on Sept. 18 in which televangelist Pat Robertson was given a free hand to abuse Islam and Prophet Muhammad.""Turki called upon Muslims in America to show restraint toward provocative media reports. He said international Zionism was trying to trigger a confrontation between Muslims and other communities."And, continues the Arab News, despite the Saudi millions spent on a glitzy ad campaign, who is responsible for Islam's bad image in America?"Saudi Arabian Interior Minister Prince Naif said that Western media reports highlighting Saudi support for terrorism are "orchestrated by the Zionist lobby which works against the American people's interests...The most powerful nation in the world is hostile to Arabs and Muslims as a result of the influence the Zionist lobby wields in the United States."