‘We need guns and rockets, bombs and warplanes, tanks and warships’
‘Jews rule the world by proxy’ – standing ovation; Karzai supports;
UN says hostility between Islam and the West ‘ugly, dangerous and wrong’

Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims, Oct 16, 2003

• Malaysia PM Calls for Muslims to Unite.
   Yahoo! News, AP, http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/ 20031016/ ap_on_re_ mi_ea/islamic_ summit_4 , By Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press Writer, 9:35 AM ET, Thu Oct 16 2003
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday told a summit of Islamic leaders that "Jews rule the world by proxy" and the world's 1.3 billion Muslims should unite, using nonviolent means for a "final victory."
   His speech at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit, which he was hosting, drew criticism from Jewish leaders, who warned it could spark more violence against Jews.
   Mahathir -- known for his outspoken, anti-Western rhetoric -- criticized what he described as Jewish domination of the world and Muslim nations' inability to adequately respond to it.
   "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy," Mahathir said, opening the meeting of Islamic leaders from 57 nations. "They get others to fight and die for them."
   Malaysia, a democratic nation which has a large non-Muslim population and does not enforce strict Islamic law, has long been a critic of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and of U.S. policy in the Middle East, including the war in Iraq (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) and Washington's strong backing of the Jewish state.
   Mahathir, 77, who is retiring on Oct. 31, has used almost every international podium to lambaste the West for two decades, winning a reputation as an outspoken champion of Third World causes.
   "For well over half a century we have fought over Palestine. What have we achieved? Nothing. We are worse off than before," he said. "If we had paused to think, then we could have devised a plan, a strategy that can win us final victory."
   The prime minister, who has turned his country into the world's 17th-ranked trading nation during his 22 years in power, said Jews "invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy" to avoid persecution and gain control of the most powerful countries.
   Mahathir added that "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but he suggested using political and economic tactics instead of violence.

   Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled expressed disappointment in the remarks but said he wasn't surprised.
   "It is not new that in such forums there is always an attempt to reach the lowest common denominator, which is Israel bashing," he said in Jerusalem. "But obviously we'd like to see more moderate and responsible kind of declarations coming out of such summits."

   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said during a visit to Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious." [ Page 1 of http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/submit/warcry.htm ]
   U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Marie Huhtala declined to comment on Mahathir's speech. Washington was angered over a speech he made in February, as host of the Non-Aligned Movement of 117 countries, in which he described the looming war against Iraq as racist.
   Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he supported Mahathir's analysis, which also included steps for how Muslim nations can develop economically and socially. "It is great to hear Prime Minister Mahathir speak so eloquently on the problems of the ummah (Muslim world) and ways to remedy them," Karzai said. "His speech was an eye-opener to a lot of us and that is what the Islamic world should do."
   The summit is the first since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks reshaped global politics and comes at a time when many Muslims -- even U.S. allies -- feel the war on terrorism has become a war against them.
   "It is well known that the Islamic community is being targeted today more than at any other time before in its creed, culture and social and political orientation," said Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who hosted the U.S. headquarters in the Iraq war.
   The status of Iraq also proved a divisive issue. Malaysia resisted inviting the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council, describing it as a puppet of American occupation. But Arab countries that have recognized the interim body prevailed and council representatives were attending the summit.
   Leaders attending the summit included Jordan's King Abullah,[sic] Syrian President Bashar Assad, Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
   Russian President Vladimir Putin (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) are attending as special observers because of their large Muslim minorities. -- Yahoo! News, AP, "Malaysia PM Calls for Muslims to Unite," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031016/ ap_on_ re_mi_ea/islamic_summit_4 , By Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press Writer, 9:35 AM ET, Thu Oct 16 2003 [Emphasis added throughout this Webpage]
• Malaysia Urges Muslims to Unite Vs. Jews. Thu Oct 16 2003, 9:40 AM ET. By Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press Writer.
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday told a summit of Islamic leaders that "Jews rule the world by proxy" and the world's 1.3 billion Muslims should unite, using nonviolent means for a "final victory."
   His speech at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit, which he was hosting, drew criticism from Jewish leaders, who warned it could spark more violence against Jews.
   Mahathir, who is known for his outspoken, anti-Western rhetoric, criticized what he described as Jewish domination of the world and Muslim nations' inability to adequately respond to it as he opened the meeting of Islamic leaders from 57 nations.
   "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy," Mahathir said. "They get others to fight and die for them."
   Malaysia, a democratic nation which has a large non-Muslim population and does not enforce strict Islamic law, has long been a critic of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and of U.S. policy in the Middle East, including the war in Iraq (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) and its strong backing of the Jewish state.
   Mahathir, 77, who is retiring on Oct. 31, has used almost every international podium to lambaste the West for two decades, winning a reputation as an outspoken champion of Third World causes.
   "For well over half a century we have fought over Palestine. What have we achieved? Nothing. We are worst off than before," he said. "If we had paused to think, then we could have devised a plan, a strategy that can win us final victory."
   The prime minister, who has turned his country into the world's 17th-ranked trading nation during his 22 years in power, said Jews "invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy" to avoid persecution and gain control of the most powerful countries.
   Mahathir added that "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but he suggested using political and economic tactics instead of violence.
   Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled expressed disappointment in the remarks but said he wasn't surprised. "It is not new that in such forums there is always an attempt to reach of the lowest common denominator which is Israel bashing," he said in Jerusalem. "But obviously we'd like to see more moderate and responsible kind of declarations coming out of such summits."
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said during a visit to Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Marie Huhtala declined to comment on Mahathir's speech. Washington was angered over a speech he made in February, as host of the Non-Aligned Movement of 117 countries, in which he described the looming war against Iraq as racist.
   Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he supported Mahathir's analysis, which also included steps for how Muslim nations can develop economically and socially.
   "It is great to hear Prime Minister Mahathir speak so eloquently on the problems of the ummah (Muslim world) and ways to remedy them," Karzai said. "His speech was an eye-opener to a lot of us and that is what the Islamic world should do."
   The summit is the first since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks reshaped global politics and comes at a time when many Muslims -- even U.S. allies -- feel the war on terrorism has become a war against them.
   "It is well known that the Islamic community is being targeted today more than at any other time before in its creed, culture and social and political orientation," said Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who hosted the U.S. headquarters in the Iraq war.
   The status of Iraq also proved a divisive issue. Malaysia resisted inviting the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council, describing it as a puppet of American occupation. But Arab countries that have recognized the interim body prevailed and council representatives were attending the summit.
   Leaders attending the summit included Jordan's King Abullah [sic], Syrian President Bashar Assad, Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
   Russian President Vladimir Putin (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (news http://us.rd.yahoo.com - web sites http://us.rd.yahoo.com) are attending as special observers because of their large Muslim minorities. -- Yahoo! News, AP, "Malaysia Urges Muslims to Unite Vs. Jews," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031016/ ap_on_ re_as/islamic_summit_7 , By Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press Writer, Thu Oct 16 2003, 9:40 AM ET.
• Malaysian Urges Muslims to Unite Vs. Jews. Thu Oct 16 2003,10:29 PM ET. By Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press Writer.
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: In a blistering attack on Israel and hectoring criticism of the Islamic world, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a summit of Muslim leaders Thursday that Jews ruled the world and recruited others "to fight and die for them."
   "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy," Mahathir, a widely respected statesman in Asia and the developing world, said in a speech as he became chairman of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference.
   "They get others to fight and die for them," he said.
   The speech drew immediate criticism from Israel and Jewish organizations, which feared it could fan violence against Jews, but a standing ovation from the kings, presidents, sheiks and emirs -- including key U.S. allies -- gathered in Malaysia's sparkling new capital, Putrajaya.
   The Malaysian government apologized for the remarks Friday.
   "I'm sorry that they have misunderstood the whole thing," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told The Associated Press. "The intention is not to create controversy. His (Mahathir's) intention is to show that if you ponder and sit down to think, you can be very powerful."
   Syed said the world's Muslims were in a "quagmire" and felt marginalized. "There are no feelings against any Jews. Why should we have feelings based on ethnicity?"
   In his comments Thursday, Mahathir said the Islamic world had shone in science, arts and military power when Europe was in the Dark Ages, but weakened when religious infighting replaced practical learning.
   The West pulled far ahead in the Industrial Revolution, Mahathir said, and Muslims still suffer from weak states, disputes over dogma, and a lack of scientific and technological expertise. They cannot move forward until they unite, get smarter and rethink their strategies, he said.
   When asked their reaction, the leaders described his speech as "a good road map" and "an eye-opener." None specifically addressed his remarks on Jews.
   The Islamic summit comes at a time when many Muslims feel under threat following the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Israeli treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
   Mahathir said Muslims had achieved "nothing" in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.
   "They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking," Mahathir said. "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."
   Mahathir said the world's 1.3 billion Muslims "cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but suggested the use of political and economic tactics instead of violence to achieve a "final victory."
   "In today's world, we wield a lot of political, economic and financial clout, enough to make up for our weaknesses in military terms," he said.
   Mahathir, whose 22-year administration transformed Malaysia from a rubber- and tin-producing backwater into the world's 17th-largest trading nation, has long been known for his blistering attacks on globalization, U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
   But Malaysia is seen by Washington as a reliable -- if prickly -- ally, cooperating in breaking terrorist networks in Southeast Asia. Mahathir visited the White House last year.
   Still, he has remained a blunt opponent of the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, and repeatedly warned that the war on terrorism is becoming a war against Muslims. Washington was angered by a speech he made in February in which he described the looming war against Iraq as racist.
   Mahathir, 77, has always seen himself as a champion of oppressed Muslims outside his own country. During the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, he welcomed thousands of Bosnian Muslim refugees but expelled Christians who arrived with them, despite appeals by the secular government in Sarajevo.
   Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled expressed disappointment at Mahathir's remarks about Jews, but said he wasn't surprised.
   "It is not new that in such forums there is always an attempt to reach the lowest common denominator, which is Israel bashing," he said in Jerusalem. "But obviously, we'd like to see more moderate and responsible kinds of declarations coming out of such summits."
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said in Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Mahathir's remarks offensive and inflammatory. "We view them with the contempt and derision they deserve," he said.
   U.S. allies at the conference said they agreed with Mahathir's assessment of the Muslim world's predicament, although they did not specifically address his comments on Jews.
   Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said it was "a shrewd and very deep assessment."
   "It is great to hear Prime Minister Mahathir speak so eloquently on the problems of the ummah (Muslim world) and ways to remedy them," added Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "His speech was an eye-opener to a lot of us and that is what the Islamic world should do."
   The West pulled far ahead in the Industrial Revolution, Mahathir said, and Muslims still suffer from weak states, disputes over dogma, and a lack of scientific and technological expertise. They cannot move forward until they unite, get smarter and rethink their strategies, he said.
   When asked their reaction, the leaders described his speech as "a good road map" and "an eye-opener." None specifically addressed his remarks on Jews.
   The Islamic summit comes at a time when many Muslims feel under threat following the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Israeli treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
   Mahathir said Muslims had achieved "nothing" in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.
   "They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking," Mahathir said. "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."
   Mahathir said the world's 1.3 billion Muslims "cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but suggested the use of political and economic tactics instead of violence to achieve a "final victory."
   "In today's world, we wield a lot of political, economic and financial clout, enough to make up for our weaknesses in military terms," he said. Mahathir, whose 22-year administration transformed Malaysia from a rubber- and tin-producing backwater into the world's 17th-largest trading nation, has long been known for his blistering attacks on globalization, U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
   But Malaysia is seen by Washington as a reliable -- if prickly -- ally, cooperating in breaking terrorist networks in Southeast Asia. Mahathir visited the White House last year.
   Still, he has remained a blunt opponent of the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, and repeatedly warned that the war on terrorism is becoming a war against Muslims. Washington was angered by a speech he made in February in which he described the looming war against Iraq as racist.
   Mahathir, 77, has always seen himself as a champion of oppressed Muslims outside his own country. During the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, he welcomed thousands of Bosnian Muslim refugees but expelled Christians who arrived with them, despite appeals by the secular government in Sarajevo.
   Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled expressed disappointment at Mahathir's remarks about Jews, but said he wasn't surprised.
   "It is not new that in such forums there is always an attempt to reach the lowest common denominator, which is Israel bashing," he said in Jerusalem. "But obviously, we'd like to see more moderate and responsible kinds of declarations coming out of such summits."
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said in Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Mahatir's remarks offensive and inflammatory. "We view them with the contempt and derision they deserve," he said.
   U.S. allies at the conference said they agreed with Mahathir's assessment of the Muslim world's predicament, although they did not specifically address his comments on Jews.
   Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said it was "a shrewd and very deep assessment."
   "It is great to hear Prime Minister Mahathir speak so eloquently on the problems of the ummah (Muslim world) and ways to remedy them," added Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "His speech was an eye-opener to a lot of us and that is what the Islamic world should do." -- Yahoo! News, AP, "Malaysian Urges Muslims to Unite Vs. Jews ," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031017/ap_on_re_as/islamic_ summit_12 , By Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press Writer Thu Oct 16 2003,10:29 PM ET. [Emphasis added]
• Mahathir's comments on Jews stir Western outrage, Islamic suppport. Fri Oct 17 2003, 2:58 AM ET. Mideast - AFP. PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's charge that Jews rule the world was greeted by a storm of protest in the Western world, but Islamic leaders rallied behind their controversial host at a summit here.
   In a typically provocative speech at one of his last appearances on the world stage, Mahathir told the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit Thursday that Muslims could exploit what he termed the increasing arrogance of the Jewish people.
   "The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them," said Mahathir, 77, who is due to retire at the end of the month after leading this moderate Muslim country for 22 years. 1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews."
   US State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli condemned the remarks, noting "it's not the first time we've seen comments like this from that official.
   "Let's be clear, the remarks are offensive, they are inflammatory, and we view them with the contempt and derision they deserve."
   Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said his country, which currently holds the EU presidency, was proposing to include a condemnation of Mahathir's comments in the conclusions of a two-day EU summit which ends Friday.
   "His statement used expressions which were gravely offensive. Some of what he said was very strongly anti-Semitic. He also said other things which run strongly counter to the principles of tolerance and dialogue between the West and the Islamic world," he said.
   Germany's foreign ministry on Thursday summoned the Malaysian charge d'affaires in Berlin to protest against the "absolutely unacceptable" remarks. The ministry told the charge d'affaires that "repetition of such prejudices and mixing them with such a tragic chapter of European and German history, the Holocaust, was irresponsible."
   Efraim Zuroff, director of the office in Israel of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which pursues Nazi war criminals, said the enlightened world should silence Mahathir for his remarks. "This man is an anti-Semite and he doesn't hide it," Zuroff said.
   Australian Prime Minister John Howard, breaking with his policy of refusing to comment on remarks by his controversial Malaysian counterpart, described the comments as offensive.
   Israel's ambassador to Singapore Itzhak Shoham on Friday denounced the remarks as "anti-Semitic". "We don't remember such expressions since the days of Hitler," he said.
   But Muslim officials gathered for the OIC meeting said Friday that Mahathir's comments had been taken out of context and were aimed at rallying the Muslim world.
   Mahathir had called on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression, saying the Jews had "survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back, but by thinking".
   "We cannot fight them through brawn alone, we must use our brains also," he said.
   Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said he did not think much attention should be paid to the "clamour and accusations".
   "Those who are commenting on the speech have not read it in its entirety," Maher said.
   "Nobody felt it was inflammatory. We thought it was a very, very wise assessment. It was addressed to the Muslims, it was an appeal for them to wake up."
   Yemen Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qurbi said he supported Mahathir in his comments "100 percent".
   "The prime minister outlined a very important issue that the Israelis and the Jews control most of the economy and the media in the world," he said.
   "Therefore we face that challenge of how we can as a Muslim ummah (community) act to counter such Zionist abilities by building our capabilities, both economically and in the media form."
   Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar came to his leader's defence. "People may not be very happy but this is a reality. The Jews are very powerful."
   "Please forget about anti-Semitism. Please read the speech in its proper context. The message is to stop violence." -- Yahoo! News, AFP, "Mahathir's comments on Jews stir Western outrage, Islamic suppport," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031017/wl_mideast_afp/oic_summit_mahathir_031017065800 Fri Oct 17 2003, 2:58 AM ET.
• Malaysia 'Sorry' for Flap Over Jews. Fri Oct 17 2003, 6:13 AM ET. By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer.
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Malaysia, faced with angry criticism from the United States and Europe, apologized Friday for "any misunderstanding" over assertions by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that Jews rule the world.
   Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar struggled to contain the damage wrought by his blunt-spoken boss, who told a 57-nation Islamic summit Thursday that "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
   The speech drew immediate criticism from Israel and other countries and raised fears that it could fan violence against Jews. But it got a standing ovation from the kings, presidents, sheiks and emirs - including key U.S. allies - gathered in Malaysia's capital, Putrajaya.
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said in Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   Mahathir had used allegations of Jewish dominance to buttress his chief point, that Muslims needed to embrace modern knowledge and technology and overcome divisions over religious dogma that have left them weakened on the world stage.
   But the statements about Jews stood out, and condemnations were swift and unambiguous from the United States, the European Union, Australia and Germany, which summoned Malaysia's charge d'affaires in Berlin to protest the comments as "totally unacceptable."
   I'm sorry that they have misunderstood the whole thing," Syed Hamid, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press. "The intention is not to create controversy. His intention is to show that if you ponder and sit down to think, you can be very powerful."
   Mahathir declined to speak to reporters who approached him Friday, telling them to wait until an evening news conference.
   Syed Hamid said the world's Muslims were in a "quagmire" and feeling "sidelined or marginalized," reflecting a widespread perception in the Islamic world as the war on terrorism has evolved into U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel has increased repression of the Palestinians.
   "Please forget about anti-Semitism," Syed Hamid told reporters. He added that Mahathir's "message is to stop violence, which is not the answer for us to succeed in our struggle. People may not be very happy but this is the reality: the Jews are very powerful."
   Syed Hamid noted that Malaysia has a state policy of religious harmony, in which the ethnic Malay Muslim majority lives alongside large non-Muslim Chinese and Indian minorities. The country is one of Southeast Asia's most modern and wealthy, and has jailed terror suspects without qualms.
   "How can we be anti-Jew? It is far from the truth," Syed Hamid said. [COMMENT: Oops! The early leaders nearly all were! COMMENT ENDS>]
   Mahathir, a respected leader in the developing world with a long history of making articulate, provocative comments, is retiring Oct. 31 after 22 years in power. He told the Islamic leaders that Muslims had achieved "nothing" in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.
   "They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking," Mahathir said of the Jews. "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."
   Mahathir said the world's "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but suggested the use of political and economic tactics, not violence, to achieve a "final victory."
   In their reactions to the speech, most of the leaders at the summit focused on the aspects that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher called "a good road map" toward Muslim empowerment.
   Asked by the AP whether he thought the speech was anti-Semitic, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said: "I don't think so."
   "Dr. Mahathir spoke of the inhibitions within the Islamic world and that those inhibitions must go away, and I entirely agree with that," Karzai said.
   But State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Mahathir's remarks offensive and inflammatory. "We view them with the contempt and derision they deserve," he said.
   The leaders of the European Union, meeting in Brussels, Belgium, planned to adopt a statement saying the 15-nation bloc "deeply deplores" Mahathir's words, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said.
   "The prime minister used expressions that were gravely offensive, very strongly anti-Semitic and ... strongly counter to principles of tolerance, dialogue and understanding between the Western world and the Islamic world," Frattini said. Australian Prime Minister John Howard called Mahathir's comments offensive and repugnant.
   "Any suggestion from anybody anywhere in the world of dividing the world into Jewish and non-Jewish groupings is historically indefensible and wrong," Howard told Australia Radio.
   Leaders at the summit included Karzai, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
   Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines were special guests because of their large Muslim minorities. -- Yahoo! News, AP, Malaysia 'Sorry' for Flap Over Jews http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031017/ap_on_re_as/islamic_summit_14 By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 17 2003, 6:13 AM ET.
• Malaysia Apologizes for Flap Over Jews. Fri Oct 17 2003, 7:49 AM ET. By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer.
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Malaysia, faced with angry criticism from the United States and Europe over comments made at an Islamic summit, apologized Friday for "any misunderstanding" over Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's assertion that Jews rule the world.
   Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, struggling to contain the controversy wrought by his blunt-spoken boss, insisted he was not apologizing for Mahathir's speech itself on Thursday but said the remarks had been taken out of context.
   Mahathir told leaders of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping, that "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
   The speech drew immediate criticism from Israel and other countries and raised fears that it could fan violence against Jews. But it got a standing ovation from the kings, presidents, sheiks and emirs -- including key U.S. allies -- gathered in Malaysia's capital, Putrajaya.
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir has used anti-Israel statements in the past to prove he's tough on the West. But, he said, Thursday's speech was still worrisome.
   "What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," Cooper said in Jerusalem. "Mahathir's speech today is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   Mahathir had used allegations of Jewish dominance to buttress his chief point, that Muslims needed to embrace modern knowledge and technology and overcome divisions over religious dogma that have left them weakened on the world stage.
   But the statements about Jews stood out, and condemnations were swift and unambiguous from the United States, the European Union, Australia and Germany, which summoned Malaysia's charge d'affaires in Berlin to protest the comments as "totally unacceptable."
   "I'm sorry that they have misunderstood the whole thing," Syed Hamid, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press. "The intention is not to create controversy. His intention is to show that if you ponder and sit down to think, you can be very powerful."
   Mahathir declined to speak to reporters who approached him Friday, telling them to wait until an evening news conference.
   Syed Hamid said the world's Muslims were in a "quagmire" and feeling "sidelined or marginalized," reflecting a widespread perception in the Islamic world as the war on terrorism has evolved into U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Israel has increased repression of the Palestinians.
   "Please forget about anti-Semitism," Syed Hamid told reporters. He added that Mahathir's "message is to stop violence, which is not the answer for us to succeed in our struggle. People may not be very happy but this is the reality: the Jews are very powerful."
   Syed Hamid noted that Malaysia has a state policy of religious harmony, in which the ethnic Malay Muslim majority lives alongside large non-Muslim Chinese and Indian minorities. The country is one of Southeast Asia's most modern and wealthy, and has jailed terror suspects without qualms.
   "How can we be anti-Jew? It is far from the truth," Syed Hamid said.
   Mahathir, a respected leader in the developing world with a long history of making articulate, provocative comments, is retiring Oct. 31 after 22 years in power. He told the Islamic leaders that Muslims had achieved "nothing" in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.
   "They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking," Mahathir said of the Jews. "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."
   Mahathir said the world's "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but suggested the use of political and economic tactics, not violence, to achieve a "final victory."
   In their reactions to the speech, most of the leaders at the summit focused on the aspects that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher called "a good road map" toward Muslim empowerment.
   Asked by the AP whether he thought the speech was anti-Semitic, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said: "I don't think so."
   "Dr. Mahathir spoke of the inhibitions within the Islamic world and that those inhibitions must go away, and I entirely agree with that," Karzai said.
   But State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Mahathir's remarks offensive and inflammatory. "We view them with the contempt and derision they deserve," he said.
   The leaders of the European Union, meeting in Brussels, Belgium, planned to adopt a statement saying the 15-nation bloc "deeply deplores" Mahathir's words, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said.
   "The prime minister used expressions that were gravely offensive, very strongly anti-Semitic and ... strongly counter to principles of tolerance, dialogue and understanding between the Western world and the Islamic world," Frattini said.
   Australian Prime Minister John Howard called Mahathir's comments offensive and repugnant. "Any suggestion from anybody anywhere in the world of dividing the world into Jewish and non-Jewish groupings is historically indefensible and wrong," Howard told Australia Radio.
   Leaders at the summit included Karzai, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines were special guests because of their large Muslim minorities. -- Yahoo! News, AP, "Malaysia Apologizes for Flap Over Jews," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031017/ap_on_re_as/islamic_summit_15 By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 17 2003, 7:49 AM ET.
• Muslims rally around Mahathir over attack on Jews. Fri Oct 17 2003,10:57 AM ET. AFP. PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) - Muslim leaders closed ranks around Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad after his attack on Jews caused a firestorm of protest and overshadowed their troubled bid for unity on Iraq at a summit meeting.
   Mahathir's provocative declaration that "Jews rule this world" and get others to fight and die for them drew violently contrasting reactions in the western world and at the meeting here of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
   Western nations condemned the speech as outrageous and offensive, while Israel's ambassador to Singapore Itzhak Shoham compared the remarks to those made by Hitler.
   But Muslim officials gathered for the OIC meeting said Mahathir's comments had been taken out of context and were aimed at rallying the Muslim world.
   Yemen's Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qurbi said Friday that he supported Mahathir "100 percent."
   "The prime minister outlined a very important issue that the Israelis and the Jews control most of the economy and the media in the world," he said.
   "Therefore we face that challenge of how we can as a Muslim ummah (community) act to counter such Zionist abilities by building our capabilities, both economically and in the media form."
   Mahathir had called on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression, saying the Jews had "survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back, but by thinking."
   "We cannot fight them through brawn alone, we must use our brains also," he said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said he did not think much attention should be paid to the "clamour and accusations" from western countries.
   "Those who are commenting on the speech have not read it in its entirety," Maher said.
   "Nobody felt it was inflammatory. We thought it was a very, very wise assessment. It was addressed to the Muslims, it was an appeal for them to wake up."
   Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said Mahathir was just "talking about issues confronting the Muslim world and what Muslims should do. Muslims must educate themselves, must begin to be progressive to develop themselves.
   "His historical analysis of what happened in Islam is very correct."
   Apart from Mahathir's remarks, the summit has focused on the situation in Iraq and the sense that the Islamic world has been unjustly oppressed and humiliated by the so-called war on terrorism.
   The summit is the biggest gathering of Islamic leaders since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, drawing more than 30 heads of state and government from throughout the Muslim world.
   Iraq is represented by members of its US-appointed Governing Council, which won a bid to get the summit to drop a draft resolution calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops and a central role for the United Nations in the transition to democracy.
   Instead, the summit is expected to issue a statement at its conclusion later Friday simply calling for independence as soon as possible.
   The adoption by the United Nations Security Council of a US-drafted resolution on Iraq, authorizing a multinational force for the war-torn country but setting no deadlines, was welcomed by Iraq's transitional Governing Council chairman Iyad Allawi.
   Allawi was relieved that France, Germany and Russia had dropped their demand that the UN resolution specify a precise timetable, which he said was "treating us like school children."
   But Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said that despite the new resolution, Pakistan is not yet in a position to contribute troops because not all its preconditions have been met.
   These include an expression of "desire for Muslim troops, or Pakistani troops" from the Iraqis, and the willingness of other Muslim countries to contribute forces, he said.
   Washington has asked three Muslim states -- Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey -- to deploy soldiers to ease the burden on US forces confronting mounting opposition in Iraq, but only Turkey has agreed. -- Yahoo! News, AFP, "Muslims rally around Mahathir over attack on Jews," http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031017/wl_mideast_afp/oic_summit_031017145742 Fri Oct 17 2003,10:57 AM ET.
• Malaysia Explains Anti-Jewish Remarks. Fri Oct 17 2003,11:28 AM ET. By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer.
   PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Facing international condemnation, a senior Malaysian official Friday defended Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's assertion at an Islamic summit that Jews rule the world, but apologized for any misunderstandings or offense.
   Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Mahathir's extensive remarks Thursday about Jews were taken out of context in a speech primarily about empowering Muslims to become a stronger, nonviolent people.
   The Malaysian prime minister told leaders of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping, that "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
   The speech drew immediate criticism from Israel, the United States and other countries, and raised fears that it could fan violence against Jews. But it got a standing ovation from the kings, presidents, sheiks and emirs - including key U.S. allies - gathered in Malaysia's capital, Putrajaya.
   "The civilized world has seen the results of such violent rhetoric in the past," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling the speech "a desecration of the memory of 6 million victims of anti-Semitism."
   In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Mahatir's remarks offensive and inflammatory. "We view them with the contempt and derision they deserve," he said.
   Australian Prime Minister John Howard said they were "historically indefensible and wrong." In Berlin, Germany summoned Malaysia's charge d'affaires to protest the comments as "totally unacceptable."
   Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, said Mahathir's speech "is an absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews. That's serious."
   Mahathir had used allegations of Jewish dominance to buttress his chief point that Muslims needed to embrace modern knowledge and technology and overcome divisions over religious dogma that have weakened them.
   "I'm sorry that they have misunderstood the whole thing," Syed Hamid, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press. "The intention is not to create controversy. His intention is to show that if you ponder and sit down to think, you can be very powerful."
   Mahathir declined to speak to reporters Friday, telling them to wait until an evening news conference.
   Syed Hamid said the world's Muslims were in a "quagmire" and feeling "sidelined or marginalized," reflecting a widespread perception in the Islamic world as the war on terrorism has evolved into U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Israel has increased repression of the Palestinians.
   "Please forget about anti-Semitism," Syed Hamid told reporters. He added that Mahathir's "message is to stop violence, which is not the answer for us to succeed in our struggle. People may not be very happy but this is the reality: the Jews are very powerful."
   Mahathir, a respected leader in the developing world with a long history of making articulate, provocative comments, is retiring Oct. 31 after 22 years in power. He told the Islamic leaders that Muslims had achieved "nothing" in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.
   "They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking," Mahathir said of the Jews. "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."
   Mahathir said the world's "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews," but suggested the use of political and economic tactics, not violence, to achieve a "final victory."
   In their reactions to the speech, most of the leaders at the summit focused on the aspects that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher called "a good road map" toward Muslim empowerment.
   Asked by the AP whether he thought the speech was anti-Semitic, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said: "I don't think so."
   "Dr. Mahathir spoke of the inhibitions within the Islamic world and that those inhibitions must go away, and I entirely agree with that," Karzai said.
   At their own summit in Brussels, Belgium, European Union leaders had drafted a harsh statement condemning Mahathir's remarks, but French President Jacques Chirac blocked it from becoming a part of a final declaration, saying it had no place there. Instead, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi criticized Mahathir at his closing news conference.
   In other action at the Islamic summit, the leaders Friday:
  • Urged a faster transition to full sovereignty for Iraq, but toned down an earlier plan calling for a greater role for the United Nations (news - web sites ).
  • Strongly condemned threats by the Israeli government against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites ). The nations also asked the international community to force Israel to remove a security barrier that winds into Palestinian land and to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Palestinian and Arab territories.
  • Condemned the recent Israeli attack inside Syria as a violation of international law and the U.N. charter, and urged U.S. Security Council to prevent a recurrence.
    • -- Yahoo! News, AP, Malaysia Explains Anti-Jewish Remarks http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031017/ap_on_re_as/islamic_summit_17 By Patrick McDowell, Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 17 2003,11:28 AM ET.
    • Mahathir Speech on Jews Stirs Storm in West. Fri October 17, 2003 02:07 PM ET, By Simon Cameron-Moore.
       PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - The United States, Israel, the European Union and Australia all accused Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of blatant anti-Semitism on Friday, prompting him to fire back a charge of double standards.
       The veteran leader, who retires on October 31 after 22 years in power, provoked an outcry with comments to a gathering of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
       He told Muslim delegates to sue for peace after decades of conflict with Israel but laced a typically blunt speech with jibes about the influence of Jews over Western powers.
       "The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy," he said. Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Mahathir's reference to the Holocaust was a "desecration of the memory of six million innocent victims of anti-Semitism."
       "It is a shame that in the course of a speech ostensibly dedicated to solving problems in the Muslim world... Dr Mahathir Mohamad could not restrain himself from resurrecting vile invectives, innuendos and outright lies taken straight from classic anti-Semitic propaganda," the ministry said.
       State Department spokesman Adam Ereli strongly condemned Mahathir's comments. "Let's be clear, the remarks were offensive. They are inflammatory and we view them with the contempt and derision they deserve."
       "It's not the first time we've seen comments like this from that official... We will certainly make our views known," Ereli told reporters.
    MAHATHIR UNAPOLOGETIC
       Mahathir was unapologetic when asked about the furore his comments had caused among Western critics.
       "The fact is that they are biased, most of them are biased. They think while it is proper to criticize Muslims and Arabs, it is not proper to criticize Europeans and Jews," he told a news conference after closing the summit.
       "If the Muslims can be accused of being terrorists, of course others can accuse the Jews of being terrorists also."
       Australia's Prime Minister John Howard described Mahathir Mohamad's comments as "offensive" and "dangerous."
       Italy, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, said it would ask an EU summit which ends Friday to condemn Mahathir's remarks formally.
       "Europe profoundly deplores statements by the Malaysian prime minister in his opening speech to the Islamic conference in Malaysia," Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told a news conference at the EU summit Thursday.
       In his opening speech, Mahathir, 78, told OIC delegates the Jewish people's global influence far outweighed their numbers. "This tiny community have become a world power. We cannot fight them through brawn alone. We must use our brains as well."
       "READ THE WHOLE SPEECH"
       Arab leaders said Mahathir was simply telling it like it is. "I don't think they are anti-Semitic at all. I think he was stating the facts," Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi said.
       "There are people wanting to create trouble, invent problems that do not exist," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. "I would advise them to read the whole speech."
       Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid said most foreign media missed Mahathir's main point, that Muslims should make peace as they could not win the Palestinian conflict through violence.
       "We do not agree with suicide bombing, and he has said this," the Malaysian minister said. "I'm sorry he has created this adverse interpretation." -- Reuters, "Mahathir Speech on Jews Stirs Storm in West," http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=L1PB5G3V4YMPKCRBAEKSFEY?type=worldNews&storyID=3637955 , By Simon Cameron-Moore, 02:07 PM ET ,Fri October 17, 2003
    • Islamic nations pledge to fight terrorism, soft-pedal on Iraq, Mideast. Oct 17 2003.
       PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) The world's Islamic nations pledged to fight terrorism at the end of the biggest Muslim summit since the 2001 attacks on the United States, while toning down resolutions on Iraq and the Middle East.
       More than 30 heads of state and government turned up at the triennial summit of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which was dominated by a sense of crisis in the Muslim world.
       Two member states, Afghanistan and Iraq, have been invaded by United States-led forces since the last summit in 2000, and the conference heard constant complaints that Muslims around the globe feel oppressed and humiliated.
       On terrorism, the leaders pledged to "contribute to multilateral efforts to counter this scourge," while making the point of including "state terrorism," a term usually used to refer to Israel's military actions.
       The final communique at the end of the two-day summit also rejected "selectivity and duplicity of standards in combating terrorism and all attempts to associate terrorism with a particular religion or culture."
       It called for the signing of a convention to "distinguish between terrorism and the legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination of people living under occupation or foreign domination" -- a reference mainly to the Palestinians.
       UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned the summit of rising hostility between Islam and the West, while the OIC paid tribute to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's plea for a new approach to conflict which he called "Enlightened Moderation".
       On Iraq, the leaders dropped plans for a resolution calling for a specific timetable for the withdrawal of US forces in the face of opposition from leaders of the country's interim governing Council.
       Instead, the OIC welcomed the US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution passed Thursday which authorizes a multinational force in Iraq and simply called for moves towards the restoration of Iraq's sovereignty to be accelerated.
       The final communique did, however, maintain a demand for the United Nations to play a central role in the transition.
       The OIC also condemned recent violence in Iraq, including attacks on targets such as the UN headquarters in Baghdad and the Jordanian and Turkish embassies, as "criminal terrorist bombings".
       It called for the prosecution of former officials of Saddam Hussein's regime responsible for crimes such as "genocidal acts" against the Iraqis and others.
       On the Middle East, the summit issued a strong condemnation of Israel, but shied away from open support for the three-year Palestinian uprising.
       The final communique dedicated a dozen of its 106 articles to condemnation of Israel for occupying Arab lands and its repression of the Palestinians, but neither the communique nor a separate declaration on Palestine mentioned the intifada. [Suicide bombings by Palestinians filled with extremism in buses, restaurants, etc. in Israel.]
       The major issues on the agenda were overshadowed at the opening of the conference by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's accusation that Jews ruled the world by proxy, getting others to fight and die for them.
       His remarks caused a firestorm of protest in the western world, but Muslim leaders here rallied to his defence, saying his remarks had been taken out of context.
       Mahathir later defended his comments at a closing news conference, denying that he was anti-Semitic and saying it was "grossly unfair" that Muslims could be criticized but others could not condemn the Jews.
       He said it was unfortunate that his key message to stop all violence, suicide bombings and massive retaliation in the Middle East was not highlighted.
       The summit, which was attended by two kings, two sheikhs, a sultan, a prince, 20 presidents and seven prime ministers, also featured a surprise address by Russian President Valdimir Putin.
       He said Russia and the Islamic countries could have a "mutually advantageous cooperation", pointing out that both wanted a central United Nations role for settling international problems -- an apparent reference to their joint opposition to the US-led war on Iraq. -- Agence France-Presse, "Islamic nations pledge to fight terrorism, soft-pedal on Iraq, Mideast," [Oct 17 2003]
    • Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims Oct 17 2003:
       The West Australian, "Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims," Agence France-Presse and Reuters, page 1, Friday October 17 2003
       KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for the world's 1.3 billion Muslims to unite against "a few million Jews" who allegedly rule the world by controlling the major powers.[...]
       "We need guns and rockets, bombs and warplanes, tanks and warships for our defence," he told the leaders of 57 nations.[...]
    Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims
       The West Australian, Agence France-Presse and Reuters, Page 1, Friday, October 17, 2003
       KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for the world's 1.3 billion Muslims to unite against "a few million Jews" who allegedly rule the world by controlling the major powers.
       Dr Mahathir was speaking at the biggest summit of Islamic leaders in three years – the Organisation of the Islamic Conference – which opened in Malaysia's new capital, Putrajaya, yesterday.
       He said Muslims had for years believed mistakenly that Islam rejected new technology and progress.
       "We need guns and rockets, bombs and warplanes, tanks and warships for our defence," he told the leaders of 57 nations. "But because we are discouraged from learning of science and mathematics ... today we have no capacity to produce our weapons for defence."
       Dr Mahathir launched a blistering attack on what he described as Jewish domination of the world and Muslim nations' inability to respond to it adequately.
       "The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million but today the Jews rule the world by proxy," he said. "They get others to fight and die for them.
       "We are up against a people who think. They survived 2000 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.
       "With these they have now gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power."
       Dr Mahathir, who retires this month after 22 years in power, said Muslims "cannot be defeated by a few million Jews. There must be a way."
       But at the summit, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that hostility between Islam and the West was "ugly, dangerous and wrong".
       In a statement delivered by the UN special representative to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, Mr Annan said Western governments must address the grievances of Muslims, while Islamic states needed to make greater efforts to overcome their problems.
       The president of the Jewish Community Council of WA, Joe Berinson, said Dr Mahathir could have made a contribution to world peace but had opted to contribute to hatred and racial vilification. [Emphasis added.]
       [COMMENTS on "Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims," The West Australian, Agence France-Presse and Reuters, Page 1, Friday October 17 2003.
       Typical from some other reports - Standing ovation: "The speech drew immediate criticism from Israel and Jewish organizations, which feared it could fan violence against Jews, but a standing ovation from the kings, presidents, sheiks and emirs – including key U.S. allies – gathered in Malaysia's sparkling new capital, Putrajaya." -- From: Yahoo! News, AP, "Malaysian Urges Muslims to Unite Vs. Jews ," http://story. news.yahoo.com/ news?tmpl= story&u=/ap/2003 1017/ap_on_ re_as/islamic_ summit_12 , By Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press Writer, Thu Oct 16 2003,10:29 PM ET.
       Pars 1 and 5-10 – Anti-Israeli misbeliefs: It seems that Dr Mahathir, like many others, does not recognise that Palestine historically did not belong to Arabs (who speak a Semitic language, and so may be called Semites).
       The earliest occupiers we know of included Mesolithic Natufian peoples of the Mediterranean type around 8000 BC, followed by a Neolithic culture. Canaan lies between Syria and Egypt, and it has also been called Palestine. After the Egyptian invasion of the 15th century BC, invasions came from the Philistines, the Aramaeans, and the Hebrews. Canaanite enclaves are expressly mentioned in the Hebrew Scripture. The Canaanite town of Gezer did not pass into Israelite hands until the time of Solomon (1 Kings 9:16). Merchandising might have been in Canaanite hands during the Hebrew monarchy.
       Further north, in the time of ancient Egypt we know of the Phoenician city-states such as Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, Arwad and Ugarit. (These were the modern Syria and Lebanon coastal areas.) Phoenicians monopolised part of the sea trade, having harbours while Palestine had none. (It is thought that Phoenicians founded Carthage in North Africa, which became a great trading and military city, competing with Rome until Rome destroyed it.)
       Other peoples noted in Palestine were the Amorites, Hittites, and Jebusites.
       The Judaists-Israelites, who might have entered Palestine around 1220 BC, attacked the indigenous peoples, took much of it. Forces under King David took Jerusalem from its inhabitants around 1000 BC, but cities of the indigenous inhabitants persisted even after that. Throughout recorded history the Israelites spoke the Semitic languages of Hebrew and later Aramaic. They lost ownership completely about AD 135-7. (The other language of Judaists, Yiddish, is a Turco-Ugri-Finn language of the Khazars, who after dominating the Crimea and much of what is now called Ukraine, were converted to Judaism by rabbis sent from Babylon-Baghdad hundreds of years ago.)
       Palestine, being in the Roman Empire and dominated by Greek-speaking peoples, became a Christian country. The Muslim Caliph Omar took Jerusalem in AD 637 under an early Islamic impetus, and Muslims have held it most of the time since, except for example when Christians reconquered it in 1099 and held it for a few decades, and had it ceded to them again in 1229, but lost it again later. It came under Christian rulers during World War I, being later mandated to the British until May 14, 1948.
       So, in reality, neither the modern Israelis nor the Muslims and/or Arabs have a clear historical title to Palestine, no matter what their scriptures say.
       Par 4 – Discouraged from learning: Muslims, far from being discouraged from learning science and mathematics, have for many years been adding to their education in other countries. Older Australians might remember the Colombo Plan after the 1939-45 World War, and might have met some Muslims and people of other groups who came to Australia to study. But, more importantly perhaps, in 2004 it was revealed that the Pakistani nuclear scientist who was building that country's nuclear "deterrent" had been trained in West Germany, and in 2004 he publicly "apologised" for secretly sharing his information etc. with two other countries which are supposed to be forbidden to have nuclear bombs – one Islamic, the other Communist Korea. I wonder if there are other people who believe what Dr Mahathir said? Historically, during the Middle Ages some Muslim cities were scientifically far ahead of the European cities of the time. They could be still ahead.
       Par 7 – Pogroms for 2000 years: Dr Mahathir, like many others, says that pogroms (organised murders or other serious persecutions) against Jews have been endured during about 2000 years. This use of "2000" arises partly from the desire to blame Christendom (which is said to be 2000 years old) for everything nasty in the view of the agnostics, some Reformers, other religionists, the trendy left, and nowadays also the "politically correct".
       On the contrary, violence against various races, peoples and religions, including Jews, has occurred throughout the 7000 or 8000 years of recorded history, and probably before. Africa and Amerindian America show evidences of hideous cruelties, including burying people alive under buildings. In ancient and modern Indian and Chinese history there are heartbreaking stories of cruelty, on a par with the Turkish genocide against the Christian Armenians (for example, Jan 17, 1920), and their intermittent persecution of them and Kurds. But few could match the Hitler Nazi "industrialised" mass-murders of Jews, Gypsies, other races, Jehovah's Witnesses, other religionists, union leaders, other leaders, democrats, Communists, Esperantists, conscientious objectors, etc. during World War II.
       In the case of the Hebrews, for example, one ancient attempted mass-murder was foiled by Queen Esther, and their enemies were repaid in kind. This victory is celebrated each year by the Jewish feast of Purim (see Bible, Esther -- set in 485-465 BC, possibly fiction – chapters 6-10). The semi-enslavement of Jews is said to have occurred in ancient Egypt around 1200 BC. So, "2000 years" is just plain wrong.
       Par 8 – "They [Jews] 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." Read it again. Persecuting them, according to this, is quite normal. But we know from other Muslim leaders that nobody ought to persecute Muslims!!! He stated that Jews invented ideologies so that they can "enjoy equal rights." Think through what he means. Persecution evidently wouldn't appear to be wrong UNLESS the Jews had invented these ideologies. What does that say about other belief systems? And, return to history. Didn't the Athenians, BC, invent democracy (excluding women, foreigners, and slaves)? Didn't the Puritans in England (whose Jews had been deported centuries earlier in 1290) during Cromwell's Commonwealth, 1653-58, publish a large number of tracts which explored many of the aspects of democracy? And wasn't the first modern democracy the United States of America, which at that stage was not under such a big Jewish influence as later immigration caused? He's factually wrong about his other claims, too.
       2nd last par - Western governments: There are many injustices against Muslims, but some of the offenders are non-Christian and non-Western India (seized Kashmir) and China (persecuting Muslims as well as Buddhists far inland), non-Western Russia (ruled by a former secret policeman) persecuting and attacking Muslims in Chechnya, ex-Christian and Western NATO (attacked Serbia, failing to see what the Muslims had been building up to in Kosovo), and the supposedly Christian United States which paid for and arms the Israeli incursion into Muslim lands (Palestine, Lebanon, and for years the Sinai territory of Egypt). The attack on Iraq by the United States, Britain, and Australia nearly falls into a similar category. The illegal imprisonment and torture by the USA at Abu Ghraib and other places is also injustice. Kofi Annan was wrong about the West, but right to seek justice. It was also right to encourage Muslim states "to make greater efforts to overcome their problems."
       Last par - "racism": In this appears the common error of identifying opponents of a culture as using "racial vilification," although Judaism is really a culture, with some belonging to one or other of the races (Semites, Khazars, etc) that have adopted the culture. Some, but not all, with overlaps as would be expected, identify religiously as Jews. – jcm 03 Dec 2004. COMMENT ENDS.]
       [DOCTRINE - 9.30: And the Jews say: Uzair [Ezra] is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! www.usc.edu/ dept/MSA/quran/ 009.qmt.html#009.030 . See also 5.51. DOCTRINE ENDS.]
       [NEXT MALAYSIAN P.M.: On August 3, 2004, the next Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, said that Muslims worldwide fear Christians are waging a war against Islam. -- The West Australian, Perth, W. Australia, "Religion colours the war on terror," Associated Press, p 22, Wednesday, August 4, 2004. END of NEXT MALAYSIAN P.M.] [Oct 17, 03]
    • Australia 'US puppet'
       KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Oct 17 2003: South-East Asian countries have criticised a reported comment by United States President George Bush that Australia was Washington's sheriff in the region.
       Malaysia instead called Australia the US puppet.   ... Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said Australia ... had no right to think of itself as a sheriff in the region.   ...
       The Australian Government distanced itself from Mr Bush's reported comment. .  ... – The West Australian, "Australia 'US puppet'," Associated Press and Australian Associated Press, p 24, Fri Oct 17 2003
    • Search results for "Mahathir +speech"
       Malaysia defends speech on Jews. http://news. bbc.co.uk/ 1/hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 3196234.stm, Malaysia plays down PM Mahathir Mohamad's speech to Muslim leaders, condemned for its comments on Jews. ‹‹ 90% relevance | 17/10/2003
       Mahathir's musings go on sale. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 3128636.stm, Malaysia has produced The Thoughts of the Prime Minister, a selection of Doctor Mahathir Mohamad's speeches. ‹‹ 87% relevance | 22/09/2003
       Malaysia's Mahathir attacks West. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 3003414.stm, The Malaysian leader Mohammad Mahathir accuses the West of cultural imperialism in a fiery speech. ‹‹ 87% relevance | 19/06/2003
       Mahathir warning shakes Davos into life. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/ business/2 689713.stm, The first day at the World Economic Forum has seemed a quiet affair, until Mahathir Mohamad's warning of World War Three. ‹‹ 84% relevance | 24/01/2003
       Militant crackdown saved Malaysia - PM. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 2271968.stm, Mahathir Mohamad says detentions under a controversial security act prevented attempts to overthrow his government. ‹‹ 83% relevance | 20/09/2002
       Malaysian budget boost for business. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/business/ 2270777.stm, Local firms receive a parting gift from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in what will probably be his last budget before he retires. ‹‹ 84% relevance | 20/09/2002
       Malaysia in suspense over prime minister. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 2062961.stm, Speculation mounts in Malaysia about a possible successor to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. ‹‹ 84% relevance | 24/06/2002
       End of Road for Mahathir? http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/not_in_website/ syndication/ monitoring/ media_reports/ 2062772.stm, Malaysian newspapers react to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's surprise resignation, which he cancelled one hour later. ‹‹ 84% relevance | 24/06/2002
       Mahathir reverses resignation. http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/world/ asia-pacific/ 2059638.stm, Opposition parties in Malaysia accuse Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of manipulation, after an extraordinary hour of political drama. ‹‹ 84% relevance | 22/06/2002
       Mahathir laments state of Muslims. http://news. bbc.co.uk/ hi/english/ world/asia- pacific/newsid_ 1712000/ 1712966.stm, In a speech to mark the end of Ramadan, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says Muslims allow themselves to be oppressed. ‹‹ 86% relevance | 15/12/2001 – BBC, Search results http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?q=Mahathir+%2Bspeech&tab=news&go=homepage&x=14&y=7 on Oct 18 2003 [Emphasis added throughout this Webpage]
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    * Rockets = Guns, rockets, bombs, warplanes, tanks wanted. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for the world's 1.3 billion Muslims to unite against "a few million Jews" who allegedly rule the world by controlling the major powers. "We need guns and rockets, bombs and warplanes, tanks and warships for our defence," he told the leaders of 57 nations. -- The West Australian, "Mahathir delivers war cry to Muslims," Agence France-Presse and Reuters, Page 1, Friday October 17 2003.
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    Speech dated 16 Oct 2003, hived off "cont9.htm" with Microsoft® WordPad© and spellchecked with Microsoft Word 2000© (regional spellings and grammar retained where applicable) on 19 Oct 03, last modified on 03 Oct 05
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