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Tuesday, 28-Oct-2003 6:56 PM Only Malaysia can boycott others, others cannot boycott us The influential Simon Wiesenthal Center last week (see below) called on investors and tourists to avoid Malaysia after Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad branded Jews arrogant and accused them of controlling the world by proxy. Dr Mahathir, due to retire as Prime Minister in three days’ time, said that the Jewish boycott threat against Malaysia is nothing short of blackmail. Hmm…now what did he call the “Buy British Last” policy that was adopted at the time Dr Mahathir wanted to punish Britain. Was this not also a boycott or was it just “government policy”? Dr Mahathir said the call by a US-based Jewish lobby group for an economic boycott against Malaysia may hurt the country economically but the country would not give in to blackmail. "We may be affected but the question is do we allow ourselves to be blackmailed or do we stand up for what is right?" "I don't think we should allow ourselves to be blackmailed by them." "The truth is, the Jews now control the world through proxy. If you say anything against them, then they are going to accuse you of being anti-Semitic.” "And they may try to stop investments from coming into this country, and this is the kind of pressure that they apply." Mahathir also accused US President George W. Bush of lying when he claimed to have rebuked him over the remarks about Jews ruling the world. "It's the biggest lie. If he had rebuked me I'm quite sure I would have rebuked him also," Mahathir said. Mahathir said it was common for someone who could lie about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in order to go to war in Iraq to lie about what he had said. Bush, however, insisted that he had in fact delivered a rebuke. Bush said he had pulled Mahathir aside at the Thailand gathering to tell him personally that he thought the comments were "reprehensible." "I said, 'they're divisive and unnecessary'. I didn't yell at him, I just told him," the US president said. The comments in question were made by Dr Mahathir at the summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia in mid-October. A Message from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre JOIN THE SWC'S CALL FOR A CURB ON TOURISM AND INVESTMENT IN MALAYSIA AFTER ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS BY PM MAHATHIR
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling for a curb on tourism and business investment in Malaysia until the incoming Malaysian political leaders show that they do not share outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir's antisemitic animus. The Wiesenthal Center blasted Mahathir as a "dangerous racist whose hateful rhetoric is a virtual invitation for further antisemitic attacks" after the Malaysian leader's antisemitic comments made at the opening session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), pictured right, last week. Yesterday, an unrepentant Mahathir reiterated his antisemitic charges that Jews control the world. Please join the Simon Wiesenthal Center's protest to Malaysia's Representative at the United Nations and the Malaysian Ambassador to the United States so that such antisemitic, incendiary behavior does not go unchallenged. Mahathir's continuous anti-Jewish outbursts have been, with the exception of President Bush's direct personal rebuke, generally met with silent indifference or in the case of the recent OIC Summit, a standing ovation from Arab and Moslem heads of state. The Malaysian leader's serial antisemitism has now moved the most virulent antisemitic stereotypes into the mainstream of the body politic of the Islamic and Asian communities. It cannot be business as usual as long as the head of Malaysia continues to validate the ugly racist hate of antisemitism that invites anti-Jewish hate crimes and terrorism. PLEASE ACT NOW BY CLICKING HERE TO SIGN THIS URGENT ACTION PETITION! His Excellency Datuk RASTAM Mohd Isa Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations His Excellency Dato Sheikh Abdul Khalid Ghazzali Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States I join with the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its 400,000 members worldwide in calling for a curb on tourism and business investment in your country until the new Malaysian political leaders show that they do not share outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir's antisemitic animus. Prime Minister Mahathir’s serial antisemitism has now moved the most virulent antisemitic stereotypes into the mainstream of the body politic of the Islamic and Asian communities. It cannot be business as usual as long as the head of your nation continues to validate the ugly racist hate of antisemitism that invites anti-Jewish hate crimes and terrorism. |
