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February 13, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 21, 2003
/ 25 Tishrei, 5764
How to be a Muslim moderate
By
Zev Chafets
An Islamic leader camouflages some truth-telling about the Islamic world with anti-Semitic lies
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
On Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad made headlines by charging that a Jewish conspiracy controls the
planet.
"The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy," he told the leaders and
representatives of 57 Islamic nations who were gathered in Putrajaya, Malaysia, for their biggest summit meeting since 9/11.
"We are up against a people who think. They invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting
them would appear to be wrong, so that they can enjoy equal rights with others. With these, they have gained control of the most
powerful countries."
Naturally, this screed elicited loud protests from Jewish leaders and Western governments. A State Department spokesman
denounced the remarks as "offensive and inflammatory" and said the U.S. government views them "with the contempt and derision
they deserve."
On the other hand, Mahathir received a standing ovation from his Islamic colleagues. Supposed moderates cheered along with
everyone else. Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised the speech as an "an eyeopener."
"It is great to hear Prime Minister Mahathir speak so eloquently on the problems of the Muslim world and ways to remedy them,"
he told reporters after the speech.
How could Karzai, an American client of surpassing moderation, laud such a paranoid rant? The answer, I think, is that Karzai
heard a different speech than the one reported in the press — a rather subversive speech camouflaged by the virulent anti-Jewish
rhetoric that typifies all Islamic gatherings.
Indirectly, cautiously but unmistakably, Mahathir informed his guests that the Muslims are too weak to fight, that the jihad — from
Palestine to Putrajaya — is a disaster and the Muslims have no one to blame but themselves.
Given the low state of the Islamic world, this may seem self-evident. But saying it out loud at an Islamic summit is a rare act of
intellectual honesty.
"There is a feeling of hopelessness among the Muslim countries and their people," Mahathir said. "They feel they can do nothing
right. They believe that things can only get worse."
This sense of failure has, he noted, bred violent frustration. "Our only reaction is to become more and more angry, and so we find
some of our people acting irrationally. They launch their own attacks, killing just about everybody, including fellow Muslims."
What was he talking about? The attacks of Al Qaeda certainly, but also the Palestinian intifadeh.
Mahathir denounced the behavior of would-be martyrs as "irresponsible and un-Islamic acts" — a characterization that brought him
to the very brink of what is acceptable speech at a Muslim summit.
Which is where the Jews come in.
Mahathir wasn't quite willing to say that jihad is inherently an uncivilized mode of expression. Instead, he framed the thought in
practical terms. "We must not antagonize everyone," he said. "We must win their hearts and minds. ... We must not strengthen
the enemy by pushing everyone into their camps."
The Malaysian prime minister was talking about more than improving Muslim public relations. In effect, he was calling upon his
fellow leaders to leave the Middle Ages for the modern world. This means, in practice, breaking the grip of the clerics over political
culture and, especially, education.
Mahathir didn't want to say explicitly that Islamic education is responsible for the current backwardness of Muslim societies. So
he again invoked the practical benefit of secularism in the war against the Jews.
"We need guns and rockets, bombs and war planes, tanks and warships for our defense. But because we are discouraged from
learning of science and mathematics as giving us no merit in the afterlife, we have no capacity to produce our own weapons for our
own defense. We have to buy our weapons from our detractors and enemies," he said.
There was certainly something pathetic about Mahathir's speech — a Muslim leader ought to be able to advocate modernity and
civilized behavior without justifying them as effective weapons against a mythical Jewish conspiracy.
Even more pathetic is the fact that this message still qualifies in post-9/11 Islamic circles as dangerously progressive. Most
pathetic of all is that many statesmen cheered Mahathir's Elders of Zion claptrap.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading."
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JWR contributor Zev Chafets is a columnist for The New York Daily News. Comment by clicking here.
© 2003, New York Daily News
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