Malaysian PM Mahathir: Muslim world is in crisis
KUALA LUMPUR: The Muslim world is in crisis.
That is what Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said at the opening of the Kuala Lumpur Summit.
He said: "Everywhere we see Muslim countries being destroyed, their citizens forced to flee their countries, forced to seek refuge in non-Muslim countries. Many thousands die during their fight and many more were refused asylum."
He added: "On the other hand, we see Muslims perpetrating violent acts, killing innocent victims, men, women, children, the sick and the incapacitated."
ISLAMOPHOBIA
Dr Mahathir explained the summit needed to discuss how Islamophobia is generated.
"It is for these reasons that the summit meeting is organised. At the very least, through our discussion, we may find what went wrong.
"We may even find solutions, if not to end these catastrophes, at least to awaken the Islamic world, the ummah (community) of the need to recognise the problems and their causes," he said.
He noted that the Muslim world also had to deal with fratricidal wars, civil wars, failed governments and other catastrophes that have plagued the Muslim ummah and Islam without any serious effort being made to end or reduce them and to rehabilitate the religion.
"We have seen other countries devastated by the Second World War not only recovering quickly but growing strongly to become developed. But a few Muslim countries seem unable even to be governed well, much less to be developed and prosper.
"Is it our religion that is in the way? Is it that Islam is against worldly success and becoming a developed country? Or is it the Muslims themselves who prevent their countries from being governed well, from being developed?" he asked.
"Understanding the problems and their causes may enlighten us on the way to overcome or mitigate the disasters that have befallen the ummah," said Dr Mahathir.
The conference, held from Dec 18-21, is expected to host 450 delegates from 56 countries of the Islamic world. - THE STAR
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