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Mahathir Says Mujahidin Forming Union of Islamic States
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir said Saturday his government has received information that the Malaysian Mujahidin Movement (KMM) had formed a league with other underground groups from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mahathir said the KMM intends to set up Islamic governments in the three countries.
"Their objective is so ambitious - to set up Islamic governments in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines through force - but it will not be that easy," he told reporters after opening the Malay Education Congress at the Putra World Trade Center.
He said the objective was unrealistic as their disenchantment stemmed only from their belief that the governments were unIslamic and led by infidels.
Mahathir said the emergence of the KMM and other groups propagating Islam as a system of governance was the result of students being influenced by teachers who wanted to further their own political agenda.
"According to a study carried out by the government, at least 300 Malay university students admitted they did not feel they were Malays, and wanted to be acknowledged only as Muslims.
"But the irony is that their brand of Islam is only limited to hating a government which they perceived as unIslamic. Nothing more.''
These students have so much anger inside them and this made them so worked up that they could easily become religious fanatics, the prime minister said.
Mahathir said he could not reveal too much now, but that intelligence information gathered revealed there were connections between groups in Malaysia and Indonesia and the Philippines.
Malaysian authorities are working closely with their regional counterparts to gather intelligence information on the activities of Muslim "militant" groups, he said.
Several Malaysians have reportedly been involved in "mujahidin" or "jihad" (holy struggle) activities. Some even participated in defending the Muslims in strife torn Ambon city in the Malukus where Christians reportedly massacred thousands of Muslims without Indonesian authorities intervening.
Historically, Mindanao in the Philippines, Aceh and Riau in Indonesia, and the northern Malay belt in Malaysia, used to form a rich and powerful Islamic entity alongside Pattani in South Thailand.
The Islamic power base was destroyed by the Siamese in Thailand and later by the Dutch, Spanish and British colonialists during the 17th century in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Since then, Muslims in the region had attempted on various occasions to re-establish Islam as a political force, but failed.
Malaysian police have also uncovered attempts by some groups to smuggle weapons and explosives into the country from Thailand and the Philippines.
"It is a serious problem and it stems from their belief that Malaysia is not a Muslim country and should therefore be overthrown," said the Malaysian premier.
Malaysia has arrested over 10 people believed to be members of a Muslim group known as the KMM. It has been accused of committing a series of bank robberies, murders and bombings.
Police said they had committed the acts in the name of religion, with the aim of eventually setting up an Islamic state.
"They see themselves as Muslims, but their Islam is limited to hating the government. They say I am an infidel and they publish books calling me a dog and a devil."
Success for the fanatics, he said, was not in actually establishing an Islamic state. "For them, success is fighting," he said.
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