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.
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