KILLING ‘KILLING’

The Washington-based American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has pressured Elektra Records to delete the lead song--�Killing an Arab�--from future editions of “Standing on a Beach,� a retrospective collection by the British band the Cure. Elektra also will stop promoting the single, which has been popular on college radio stations.

Inspired by a scene in Albert Camus’ existentialist novel “The Stranger,� the song was first recorded in 1979 and remained relatively obscure until last May, when Elektra released “Standing on a Beach,� which has sold about 400,000 LPs and cassettes.

“The title opens the door for Arab-bashing by disc jockeys,� said ADC spokesman Faris Bouhafa. “Unfortunately, Arab-bashing has become a popular sport in this country. When you put out a song like this you invite disc jockeys to go on the air and say, ‘Here’s a song about killing A -rabs.’ �

Elektra and its parent, Warner Communications, initially defended the song in a letter to the ADC: “The song, far from encouraging the killing of Arabs or any other people, expresses the view that killing is insane and useless.�

But Bouhafa insisted most listeners would only remember the title and chorus--�I’m alive/I guess/I’m the stranger/killing an Arab.�

“It’s a very old song,� said Warner V.P. Geoff Holmes, explaining Elektra’s change of heart. “It was recorded six years ago. It makes sense (now) to pull the song.�

Added an Elektra spokesman: “They had a legitimate grievance.�