|
Malaysia May Call for Review of U.S. Action
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malaysia is likely to call for a review of the U.S. strikes in Afghanistan at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting this weekend, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Friday.
The call was not included in the draft statement on terrorism that dealt mainly with the type of actions to be taken against terrorism in general.
"This is a draft statement, and the leaders will have to decide on the final statement,'' he said after a working breakfast with APEC foreign ministers, which was also attended by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
"We informed our U.S. colleagues that we support the action to fight terrorism and that we are together in this fight, but we are concerned with what is happening in Afghanistan.
"In the case of countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, we mentioned that the longer the [U.S.] military action is taken, our fear is the effect on innocent civilians, which can create sympathy and destabilize moderate Islamic countries," he told a press briefing.
Indonesian minister Bambang Yudhoyono voiced the same fears Thursday in a statement reported by the Indonesian press. He said the severity of the attacks on Afghanistan would cause a rise in militancy and may destabilize several Islamic countries in the long run.
Syed Hamid also said that U.S. action must achieve targeted routes, implying it must be limited.
"It will be more dangerous for Islamic countries, especially with the fasting month (Ramadan) approaching, and emotions of Muslims can be affected," he added.
"I particularly mentioned that they have to get rid of the perception that the [U.S.] action is against Muslims or Islam.
"It must be made clear that these actions are against perpetrators of terrorism and this has to be understood by the international community.
"And where there are Islamic minorities, they should not be harassed or put into a position where they are harassed, their livelihood … jeopardized or made difficult," he said.
He said those who supported the U.S. action must consider and understand that the voicing of this concern was not an action against the United States but was a concern of Muslim countries.
"The United States understood our position even though it did not comment, because this had been expressed by other non-governmental organizations and aid agencies.
"It is not done out of emotion or trying to create difficulty for the current effort, but I think it is a real problem that needs to be attended to," he added.
Syed Hamid said Powell did not have enough time to comment on this.
"He [Powell] made his statement and updated the foreign ministers on [the situation in] India and Pakistan and each foreign minister gave his views."
|
