Prominent delegates at the Organisation of Islamic Conference have spoken out in defence of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad following the furore over his remarks yesterday on Jewish world domination.

Mahathir, who had urged Muslims to use their brains and not brawn to fight the Jews whom he said ruled the world "by proxy", had been strongly criticised by several Western nations including the United States, Australia, Germany and Italy, which currently holds the European Union presidency.

Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami described Mahathir's speech as "brilliant" and said Iran was fully in support of the premier's position.

"(Mahathir) expressed the realities of the Islamic world and stated the ways we should take against atrocities and our enemies," he said.

Encourage learning

Khatami agreed with Mahathir's views that the only way for Muslim countries to resolve their problems would be to encourage learning and build on democratic principles.

"If we consider military actions, they (the West) are stronger than we are. The only way to do it is through democracy, and (learning of) science and technology. This way, no one can coerce us," he said

Gambian President Yahya AJJ Jammeh rejected allegations by Mahathir's critics that the prime minister's speech was anti-Semitic.

"If the West is tolerant and respect freedom of speech they shouldn't take this thing personally. After all, this is the reality whether we like it or not. Why is the West so protective of the Jews? What he said is true, it is not anti-Semitic," he said when met today at the Putrajaya Convention Centre.

Jammeh pointed out contradictions in the manner with which the West had dealt with Israel vis--vis other Muslim states.

"Muslim countries must respect every UN resolution to the letter. Otherwise, we have problems. But Israel does not respect UN resolution in fact, it goes to the point of violating UN resolutions which call for the creation of a Palestinian state and withdrawal from occupied lands.

"Now, we see that Israel has nuclear weapons. Not long ago, it was announced that Israel has a submarine nuclear capabilities," he added.

Asked if the West was right in saying that Mahathir's speech would incite further hatred against the Jews, Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Salman al-Khalifa said Mahathir had merely tried to explain the situation of the world as he sees it.

"I think he put it in the way that Malaysia sees the situation," he said.

Another prominent leader, Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff also denied that Mahathir had called for war against the Jews.

"He expressed his own thoughts. He has definitive views and I will leave it at that," he said, although declining to comment on his opinion of Mahathir's remarks.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said outrage over the speech was due to misinterpretation of the premier's words and focus on only a small part of the address.

He explained that Mahathir had not only criticised violence by Israel against the Palestinians but also acts perpetrated by Muslims individuals or groups.

"I think the prime minister's speech has also been misinterpreted. We always blame Muslims for misinterpreting the Quran and the Hadith and we call them extremist groups. It is the same if you deliver speeches which have the effect of giving a very adverse meaning to what is really well-intended," he said.

Denied reports

Syed Hamid also denied reports that he had apologised for Mahathir's remarks, saying that that too was due to a misinterpretation of his words.

"I said that I was sorry that the speech was taken out of context. I did not say that I was sorry for the prime minister's speech. I didn't say that," he stressed.

This is not the first time that Mahathir had roused anger of the Jewish community and Israel's friends with his frank and often harsh remarks on Jewish influence in world affairs.

The outspoken premier had continued to defy his critics, insisting that he only spoke the truth as he saw it.