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Mahathir asks US, Australia to end oppression of Muslims
Kuala Lumpur, Dec 06: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad today called upon the United States and Australia to do more to stop the oppression of Muslims, as he celebrated Islam`s Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Kuala Lumpur, Dec 06: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad today called upon the United States and Australia to do more to stop the oppression of Muslims, as he celebrated Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Asked if he had a message for US President George W. Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Mahathir told reporters: "When Muslims are oppressed, they feel they have to fight back. So if you want peace you have to recognize that Muslims land has been taken away from them and there is oppression of Muslims everywhere."
Mahathir is widely viewed as a moderate Muslim voice. His government supports the global fight against terrorism.
But the Prime Minister says the war on terror fails to address the root causes, such as anger among Muslims about the plight of Palestinians. Mahathir has often accused the Bush administration of lending too much support to Israel.
Last week, Mahathir- Asia's longest serving leader- also chastised Howard over his stance that Australia can launch pre-emptive strikes in other nations against suspected terrorists.
The policy has triggered a furore among Australia's neighbours in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, where Mahathir has said a unilateral strike would be an act of war and urged Howard to stop behaving like "the white-man sheriff in some black country."
Malay Muslims make up around 60 percent of the country's 23 million people.
Bureau Report
Asked if he had a message for US President George W. Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Mahathir told reporters: "When Muslims are oppressed, they feel they have to fight back. So if you want peace you have to recognize that Muslims land has been taken away from them and there is oppression of Muslims everywhere."
Mahathir is widely viewed as a moderate Muslim voice. His government supports the global fight against terrorism.
But the Prime Minister says the war on terror fails to address the root causes, such as anger among Muslims about the plight of Palestinians. Mahathir has often accused the Bush administration of lending too much support to Israel.
Last week, Mahathir- Asia's longest serving leader- also chastised Howard over his stance that Australia can launch pre-emptive strikes in other nations against suspected terrorists.
The policy has triggered a furore among Australia's neighbours in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, where Mahathir has said a unilateral strike would be an act of war and urged Howard to stop behaving like "the white-man sheriff in some black country."
Malay Muslims make up around 60 percent of the country's 23 million people.
Bureau Report