Jews rule the world - Mahathir

[Unsigned]

Mahathir: Jews rule the world

Thursday, October 16, 2003 Posted: 0516 GMT ( 1:16 PM HKT)

 

 

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mohamad Mahathir has urged Muslims to unite against Jews who, he says, rule the world by "proxy."

Opening the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in Malaysia Thursday, the veteran leader also took aim at Islam, blaming a shift towards theological interpretations of the Koran that shunned science and development.

 

In his speech Thursday to open the two-day summit at Putrajaya -- Malaysia's new administrative capital -- the outgoing Malaysian leader named Israel as "the enemy allied with most powerful nations."

 

In a blistering attack, Mahathir said Jews ruled the world and got others to fight and die for them, but added that they would not be able to defeat the world's 1.3 billion Muslims.

 

"We are actually very strong, 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them," he said.

 

Mahathir called on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression, arguing the Jewish people had "survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back, but by thinking."

 

"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," he said.

 

"With these they have gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power."

 

"We cannot fight them through brawn alone, we must use our brains also."

 

Malaysia, a moderate mostly Muslim nation has long been a critic of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. Under Mahathir's leadership it has also opposed the U.S. policy in the Middle East, including the backing of the Jewish state and the recent war in Iraq.

 

Mahathir -- who steps down this month as prime minister -- has become notorious for his controversial speeches during his 22 years as leader and has been a key proponent of a unified political stance among Muslim nations.

 

Mahathir said for too long Muslims have mistakenly believed Islam rejected new technology and progress.

 

He told the biggest gathering of Muslim leaders since the September 11 attacks in the U.S.,. that such interpretations, combined with the accusation that Islam promoted terrorism, were the major reasons all Muslim people were suffering "oppression and humiliation."

 

"Islam is not just for the 7th century AD. Times have changed. Whether we like it or not we have to change," Mahathir said. "Not our teaching ... Islam is not wrong, but the interpretations by our scholars can be wrong."

 

Mahathir suggested new tactics for Muslims to vent their anger and frustration over their oppression.

 

"Is there no other way than to ask our young people to blow themselves up and kill people and invite the massacre of more of our own people?" he asked.

 

"It cannot be that there is no other way ... we must not antagonize everyone. We must win their hearts and minds."

 

The OIC -- which comprises of 57 nations -- must act on a unified front, Mahathir said, and use its political, economic and demographic clout to reverse 50 years of "bitter defeat".

 

"The Koran tells us that when the enemy sues for peace we must react positively. True the treaty offered to us is not favorable. But we can negotiate. The Prophet did," he added.

 

"And in the end he triumphed."

 

-- CNN Correspondent Maria Ressa contributed to this report.

[TIIMBARO]

I think Dr. Mahatir has been misunderstood by many people. He didn't indiscriminately condemn the Jews. He said the Jews are in the position they’re in today due to economic superiority and if Muslims want to get out of this cycle of poverty and wars, they will have to do it through political and economical pressure, as oppose to suicide bombing.

[Muhammad]

 

[ By_ Shujaat - Aljazeera- 18/10/2003 ]

[Valenteenah.]

Originally posted by muraad:

Bee, It's not the first time he spoke out, he did many times before this, not only against jews but also against west as a whole.

I didn't know that, thanx. This is the first time I heard anything from him.