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.
You are alleging, then, that the Muslims are Clintonian?
I've finally figured out what it is about your posts that bothers me: I don't see you having any principles other than "there are more Muslims than Jews so those are the ones we'd better not alienate." The fact that they are poised and ready to take over where Hitler left off doesn't seem to matter to you. I can almost hear you, in an alternative universe, saying "Well, Nazis comprise such-and-such percent of the world's population, so we need them as allies... no sense making the Jews' fight our own and bringing on their wrath..."
Before you get really mad and lash out, let me point out that I am not calling you a nazi. But I do see you being a little Vichyesque.
Islamic terrorists are trying their best to turn our war on terror into a America/Israeli war on Muslims. They need more supporters and that is the way to do it. Same goes for some in Israel. They see it to their benefit to turn their war with Arabs into an American/Israeli war on Arabs.
The bottom line for America is that Muslims ain't going away. We can't stamp out a religion which has a billion members. Jews and Muslims will be at each other's throats until time ends. We don't want our troops now or our great-great grandkids involved in that battle.
For all their boasting, Israel can be extremely myopic. The Lavon affair was a disaster for them. Hitting Reagan over AWACS to the Saudis was stupid (that deal helped lead to the busting of the Soviet Union and the freeing of Jews). Now they want us to march around waving Israeli flags in America. Another stupid move. We can support Israel without alienating our Muslim allies. The more help we get from Muslims, the sooner Iran, Iraq and terrorists worldwide are stamped out and the safer Israel is. They are simply not thinking rationally. AIPAC and Israel should have been lobbying for a few key Jewish Democrats to vote to open ANWR rather than coercing all congress critters to the mall for speeches and the waving of Israeli flags. All that display did was play into Arab and terrorist propaganda that America is run by Jews. It put some heat on our troops and other Americans stationed in Muslim countries too.
I don't care a whole lot about what Israel wants or needs. I care about America first. I am elucidating official US policy (we are not at war with all Arabs or all Muslims) and giving my opinion on what is the best course of action for America. If that offends you, tough.
I stand corrected.
They certainly seem to have gone to the same school, along with the Communist. I wonder if Ossama receives copies of the Democrat talking points. I also wonder if he is on Terry McAuliffe's list of potential contributors.
Then refrain from saying you support Israel ya creep. Since this is a lie. Jews and Israel don't need or want your kind of support.
And while you're at it please tell me your ethnic group and religion so I can dump on them in all my posts. I have asked you 3 times for this but in your own cowardly way you have not given them up.
If it only wasn't for those pesty Jews, the Muslims would all love us. Actually, there'd be plenty to post about, the jihad would be coming for the Christians.
They don't hide behind nice sounding names such as The American Civil Liberties Union or People for the American Way.
Yes, fundamental Islam is straightforward and honest. Thanks for reminding me.
Got your anti-Israel, anti-Jew spear and shield (or is it a sword?) working today?
Islam being all that it is, giving in to the Muslims/Arabs over Israel isn't going to buy us peace. As many have said, including the Islamists, this is a war against Islam. We will all be Moslem one day soon if it's not contained.
The IFC on FR wants us to dump all that. Doing so means more American lives lost and a longer war.
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