Posted on 05/11/2002 10:18:40 AM PDT by xvb
Muslims 'have only selves to blame'
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said last Tuesday that the world's Muslims had only themselves to blame for the poverty, misery and violence afflicting much of the Islamic world.
The veteran leader made his provocative comments in a speech to religious affairs ministers meeting for the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which groups 57 Muslim countries.
Last month he stirred controversy at the outset of an OIC foreign ministers meeting by suggesting Palestinian suicide bombers should be considered terrorists – along with the Israeli government - for deliberately attacking civilians.
This time he also laid into the OIC itself, saying its inaction and disunity had damaged its reputation.
"I am ashamed to say that many Muslims and non-Muslims have made fun of the OIC saying that it stands for 'Oh! I see'. The implication is that we just see and do nothing," said Mahathir.
"Since its founding, the OIC has not been remarkable for the things that it does. Indeed it is seldom that the members of the OIC can see eye to eye on anything that needs to be done."
Mahathir, who is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause despite his comments last month, bemoaned the Muslim community's weak response to Israel's attack on the West Bank, and in particular the refugee camp at Jenin.
"It is shameful... that all we Muslims can do when the Israelis massacred the Palestinians in Jenin and elsewhere is to appeal to others for pity and help," he said.
Muslims spend too much time fighting themselves, neglecting the pursuit of knowledge and creation of wealth, said the Malaysian leader, known for his straight-talking ways.
"If I may be permitted to say, we Muslims and our countries are not very Islamic. We cannot even regard each other as brothers," he said.
"To be very crude the fate of the Muslims of today is of their own making."
Mahathir said Muslim education had concentrated too much on religious dogma, neglecting worldly subjects such as science, mathematics and philosophy.
The world's 1.3 billion Muslims need to arm themselves with knowledge and skills to enrich their countries and defend themselves, he said.
"They missed the Industrial Revolution completely. And now they are going to miss the Information Age," said Mahathir, whose country's economic success is admired in much of the Muslim world.
Mahthir has brought Malaysia to the front rank of developing countries, while trying to raise the economic and social status of the Malay Muslims who make up two-thirds of the multi-cultural nation's population.
Feminists who yatter about Western societies "suppressing women" are completely off the mark - Western societies have been far better at using the talents of women than Muslim ones, and that's one reason why they stole OUR airplanes to fly into OUR buildings.
What he does not dare to say is how much better off his country would be if it had NO MUSLIMS at all, and how much better off he personally would be, if he would leave that muddleheaded mess of bloody rubbish and join a decent religion.
The Prime Minister is wrong about Muslims having only themselves to blame. Surah 9:51 states "Nothing will afflict us but what Allah has ordained for us." If Allah had wanted Muslims to be industrious or informed, He would have ordained it. These people are ignorant savages because that is what Allah has ordained.
I like it when you talk like that!
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However, whether people are fighting a noble cause or not, there are certain acts which they may not perpetrate. Exploding bombs in public places and killing innocent people cannot be accepted. Holding civilians to ransom or as hostages cannot be accepted. Poisoning food, medicine or water supply cannot be accepted. These are acts of terror and anyone committing these acts must be regarded as terrorist by everyone, irrespective of the cause they are fighting for, irrespective of their religion, race or creed. And once they are defined as terrorists it is the duty of everyone, every country, to hunt them down and bring them to justice.
--Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir is a perfect example of why Israel's war is not identical to our war. Muslims are always going to be after Jews. We don't want all of them after us. Bush is building up a string of allies from Turkey to Qatar to Oman to Bahrain, to Pakistan to Malaysia. To the north some Muslim former Soviet Republics are allowing us to build airbases. We have excellent supply routes to box in Iran, Iraq and anyone else who gives us trouble. All thanks to Muslim allies.--everyone of which, except Turkey, is against Israel in one degree or another.
They did a pretty good job against Americans on 9-11.
Islam=backwardness and violence born of an inferiority complex. There is no other way to say it.
And many other Muslims helped us knock out the Taliban in no time and are now aiding us as we get ready to hit Iraq and/or Iran. Keeping relations that way is critical.
I cant't think of one Islamic country that volunteered in this effort. Iran did offer to help with any downed US pilots.
The point is that if Muslims ever view Americans as they do Jews, we have a much more difficult war on our hands. We can support Israel but rubbing Muslim faces in that support or agitating that our was is Israel's war and all Muslims are our enemy are not good moves.
You took the words right out of my head. I was reading and thinking "Pim, dude... Pim. Watch yourself."
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