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U.S. Will Alienate Entire Muslim World, Warns Mahathir
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| “Unless Muslim anger and frustration is understood and tackled, we're not going to get anywhere in overcoming terrorism,” Mahathir said. |
NEW YORK, Feb. 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the United States will alienate the entire Muslim world if it attacked another Muslim country in its war against terror.
The United States should rather try to pay attention to the causes of Muslim anger and frustration instead of just attacking Muslim nations, he said, accusing the U.S. of being intolerant.
Mahathir was speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum, a five-day gathering of corporate and political leaders that has been dominated this year by the issue of terrorism.
Usually held in Davos, Switzerland, the forum venue was this year switched to New York in a gesture of solidarity with the city, which was the target of a deadly suicide attack on September 11, 2001.
“You're going to alienate the entire Muslim world,” Mahathir warned the U.S., if it extends its campaign by attacking other Islamic countries.
In his State of the Union address, U.S. President George W. Bush said his country would target what he described as an “axis of evil” that comprised countries like Iraq, Iran and South Korea. His comments have irked Muslim nations.
“Unless Muslim anger and frustration is understood and tackled, we're not going to get anywhere in overcoming terrorism,” said the aging leader.
“At the moment, we find it very difficult to penetrate the minds of the American leaders,” he added, explaining that he had met with President Bush to offer his views on Islam and terrorism – views which seem to have been ignored.
People who have families “don't fly airplanes into buildings unless they have strong feelings,” said Mahathir. He added that the scourge of terrorism will not be eliminated without some effort by the United States and other powers to understand Muslim grievances.
Mahathir cited Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israel as the principal cause of Muslim anger, along with United Nations-imposed and U.S.-backed economic sanctions on Iraq, which have had a devastating effect on the Iraqi population.
But Mahathir also criticized Muslim groups who distort Islam’s message to advance their own political agenda.
“As a result of politically-motivated distortions by people who pretend they are learned in Islam, people are doing things that are contrary to Islam,” said Mahathir.
The Malaysian Premier also stressed that Islam prohibits violence against innocent people and teaches that Muslims are only allowd to war against those who attack them.
He added that Islam can play a very positive role in a modern Islamic state because it is a way of life that promotes tolerance, peace, stability and success.
"If today Islam is perceived to be a religion of backward, violent and irrational people, it is not because of Islam as a faith and way of life; it is because Muslims have deviated from the fundamentals of Islam, have abused the teachings in order to justify their personal greed and ambitions,” Mahathir said.
“Islam abhors wars of aggression and the killing of innocent people. Defensive wars are permitted, but should the enemy sue for peace, Muslims must respond positively,” he concluded.
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