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Anwar Ibrahim's Wife Lambastes American Think Tank
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (IslamOnline) - Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Friday lambasted Amy Ridenour, President of the National Center for Public Policy Research for attacking her husband, jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, calling Ridenour's statements "outright lies and half-truths with certain facts."
Wan Ismail, leader of the opposition National Justice Party (NJP), or Keadilan Party, and a member of Parliament in Malaysia, said articles published in local newspapers concerning her husband's background on the issue were "vile, vicious attempt to tarnish Anwar's reputation and to ensure that international support for his cause diminishes."
The party leader said Anwar Ibrahim has no links whatsoever with any so-called "radical Islamic fundamentalists".
Ridenour depicted Ibrahim's creation of the Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM) in the early 1970s as a sign of his "radicalism and Islamic extremism".
Wan Ismail replied that the ABIM is a registered body that has operated within the confines of Malaysian law and the Malaysian Constitution for the last 30 years.
"ABIM is known as an organization which adopts a moderate approach to national and international issues. It is democratic in orientation and is concerned with the welfare and well-being of Muslim communities at home and abroad," she said.
"When Anwar was President of ABIM, he championed the cause of the poor and the downtrodden, in line with Islamic teachings on social justice," Wan Ismail added.
Anwar Ibrahim was imprisoned under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) of 1974 - an oppressive law that allows for detention without trial, which Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad continues to use to this day to jail democratic dissidents.
The 54-year-old Malay-Muslim leader is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence after being found guilty, in what the opposition in Malaysia calls a mockery of justice, for sodomy and corruption.
The NJP president said Anwar Ibrahim did meet with Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979, adding that Muslim, and a huge number of non-Muslim, groups did as well. Varying groups from throughout the world had supported the Iranian Revolution.
She said the Iranian Revolution was a largely non-violent struggle against one of the most oppressive and ruthless dictatorial regimes in modern history.
"A number of American, French, German and Indian intellectuals, deeply committed to democratic values had also visited Khomeini immediately after the Iranian revolution.
"However, it should be noted that when the Revolution lost its bearings, Anwar was one of those Muslim activists who openly criticized its excesses," said Wan Ismail.
The NJP, which is in a coalition of four opposition parties, including the Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) said the opposition Alternative Front (AF) is committed to the creation of a just Malaysia through the democratic process.
"The Islamic Party of Malaysia a leading member of this coalition has impeccable democratic credentials.
"It has participated in every parliamentary election in the country since 1955 and has abided by the verdict of the ballot box, even when the ruling party has flouted basic electoral rules."
Anwar Ibrahim's wife said anti-Mahathir student groups have "taken control of student unions at most universities" because there is growing opposition to the injustices perpetrated by the ruling elite.
She reminded Ridenour that she was in the U.S. in June this year at the invitation of the Islamic Society Of North America (ISNA) and not thanks to "lobbyists controlled by my husband".
"Is it a mere coincidence that Amy Ridenour's article appeared in Washington and in Kuala Lumpur at a time when Mahathir is attempting to link the legitimate, constitutional opposition in Malaysia to Islamic militancy, violence and radicalism?" she asked.
In the last few months, Mahathir's government has used the ISA to detain political leaders and activists from both PAS and the Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party).
The government and the police then alleged that they were involved in militant activities aimed at overthrowing the government - allegations which the detainees will not be able to expose in a court of law.
Wan Ismail lashed out that Mahathir "is doing this to convince his foreign critics... about his unjust treatment of Anwar and his abuse of power that he has had to resort to authoritarian measures in order to fight Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic radicalism," Wan Ismail said in strong words.
"It is, in a sense, utterly ludicrous that Anwar should now be accused of having 'close links with radical Islamic fundamentalists' when it was just yesterday that he was supposed to be an agent of the United States, according to Malaysian government leaders," Wan Ismail concluded.
On Wednesday, the Washington Times published an article in which the American think tank attacked Anwar for his alleged Islamic "militant" past.
It also said the U.S. should be weary of Ibrahim's attempt to oust Mahathir from power, saying the U.S. will be fooled like it was in the case of Iran and Afghanistan.
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