Muslims Must Distance Themselves From Malaysian PM's Comments Regarding Jews
Yahya Abdul Rahman
Montreal October 18, 2003 (MMN): Although Muslim leaders closed ranks around Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday in support of his otherwise internationally condemned comments on Jews at the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), this is one Muslim that will not be offering him words of support.
Dr. Mahathir's provocative declaration that "Jews rule this world by proxy " is outright anti-semitic, racist to the core, offensive, outrageous and simply untrue. The world is simply too complex to say that one small ethnic groups rules it.
This is what he said exactly:
"The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
In fact, I tend to agree with Israel's ambassador to Singapore, Itzhak Shoham, who compared Dr. Mahathir's remarks to those made by Adolf Hitler. Such race baiting statements ultimately leads to hatred and acts of violence against innocent people, as they will be blamed for society's ills. This should not and cannot be tolerated.
I will be the first person, however, to condemn what the state of Israel is doing to the Palestinian people, but I am not going to say "those Jews are to blame." That kind of talk is vile, inflammatory and racist, and distorts the fact there are many Jews of conscience who are also in opposition against the policies of the state of Israel. Dr. Mahathir said it himself in his speech.
"Even among the Jews there are many who do not approve of what the Israelis are doing," he stated.
I have absolutely nothing against Jewish people as Jews, what I am against is the policies of the state of Israel in relation to the Palestinian people and its other neighbours in the region, and its consistent disregard towards world opinion when it violates international law.
I am in agreement with Dr. Mahathir, however, when he says that we as a Muslim community should build upon our capabilities "both economically and in the media form," educate ourselves, become more progressive, and counter growing anti-Islam campaigns. But that is as far my agreement goes.
In fact, I already loathe Dr. Mahathir due to his unjust treatment of Anwar Ibrahim, (see: http://www.freeanwar.com/) who was Malaysia's former finance minister and was slated to be Dr. Mahathir's political successor. Ibrahim was first arrested on 20 September 1998 under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The "crime" was organising a protest demonstration against oppression, corruption, cronyism and nepotism, which he felt was rampant in Malaysian society. Realizing that the charge would not stick, and due to the unpopularity of the ISA even amongst the ruling elite, the "crime" was changed to sodomy. He still remains imprisoned until this day.
While I disagree with Ibrahim's pro-free market approach and sympathy to foreign investment and trade liberalization in his country, as this would lead to the take over of Malaysia by foreign corporations, trumping up these outrageous charges in order to silence him is simply unacceptable. The charges against him are obviously politically-motivated and his trials, as Amnesty International has said in the past, have not met international standards of fairness. No amount of Dr. Mahathir's attempts to champion the "Muslim cause" will impress me as long as this injustice against Anwar Ibrahim continues.
As a Muslim who believes that all forms of racist intolerance is a grievous sin against God and humanity, I repudiate and distance myself from Dr. Mahathir's statements. He does not speak for me but, sadly enough, his words will be used to embolden anti-semites everywhere and be used as a further pre-text to further malign Islam and Muslims. Our leaders should be more careful when they speak as what they say reflects on the whole Muslim community. Once again, however, someone who is supposed to represent the interests of Muslims has opened his big mouth and the end result is that we all look like a pack of anti-semite bigots. Just read the editorial in Saturday's New York Times entitled "Islamic Anti-Semitism" and you will know what I am talking about.
Mahathir stated in his speech that "the whole world is looking at us." That's right Dr. Mahathir, that is exactly why you should have weighed your words more carefully. Your attempts to highlight the troubles facing the Muslim community and your proposed solutions has instead fallen on deaf ears due to your anti-semtic remarks.
We Muslims, and people of conscience everywhere, must resist the urge to participate in racist scapegoating. In the long run we harm both ourselves and our victims. We don't want this kind of thing directed at us, and we should not wish it on anyone else.
Free Anwar Ibrahim, and free our minds from all forms of racist intolerance!!!!
The full text pf Dr. Mahathir's speech can be read online at: http://www.oicsummit2003.com/oicsummit/speechr.php?id=35&cat=BI
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Yahya Abdul Rahman is the editor of the online Montreal Muslim News Network (MMN). http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/