YOURSAY | ‘For one thing, many Muslim countries are highly corrupted.’

KL Summit not meant to isolate anyone, says Dr M

Apanakdikato: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, please do not blame others as many of these issues in the Muslim world are self-inflicted.

For one thing, many Muslim countries are highly corrupted. Take, for example, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia for being the ground-zero of the 1MDB mega-scandal involving mostly Muslims.

Much of the Islamophobia is also created by the Muslims themselves.

The incarceration and punishment of Muslims who choose to leave Islam for another religion of their choice occurs often and happens in Malaysia, too.

In Pakistan, religious minorities such as Christians, are persecuted. Muslim women do not enjoy equal rights as men, and many are subjected to atrocities for championing women rights, for example, Malala Yousafzai.

It is hypocritical of Malaysia to persecute and discriminate adherents of the Shia sect in our country and now invite Iran, a Shia-majority nation, to this KL Summit.

Anon: "They have created fear by their actions. And now this Islamophobia, this unjustified fear of Islam has denigrated our religion in the eyes of the world."

What are you talking about, Mahathir?

Muslims are given shelter in Europe and in many other parts of the world. However, they continue to demand and impose their religious beliefs in countries they are seeking refuge.

And what about the terror attacks that took place in France, England, Spain and in other parts of Europe? What was the cause for that?

Please don’t blame those in Western countries for despising the Muslims. They have valid reasons to do so.

Dizzer: This is a basic, wilful misunderstanding of the term 'Islamophobia'. Phobia means an 'irrational fear', not an 'unjustified' one.

Mahathir, please ask the citizens of Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Nice, Brussels, London, Manchester, Moscow (let alone, the tens of thousands of innocent civilians slaughtered in non-European countries) whether they think their fear of Islam is unjustified.

Sherlock: Mahathir, can you please stop wasting the rakyat’s time and money.

By holding this summit, you are throwing away funds which could be used to improve the livelihood of your own “isolated” people - the lower-income group in Malaysia, especially the B40 (bottom 40 percent).

Instead, you are seeking to glorify your imaginary goals by championing Islam, with corrupted Muslim leaders just like you.

Kangkung: Mahathir, how many millions have you wasted for this summit? Indeed, taxpayers’ money would have been better spent on the B40 group to alleviate their suffering.

The cost of living has risen and I am sure you are aware that this situation has been going on for some time now.

But you have spent it on a summit that would be forgotten tomorrow and with no assurance that the desired results would be achieved.

Fair Play: Yes, what’s the point? Another hundred more such events would not change a thing in the Muslim world.

Inexplicably, Mahathir has explained it all when he said: “KL Summit is not intended to isolate anyone.”

How true. But he forgot to mention that the Muslim world is increasingly being isolated day by day from the world-at-large.

N Jules: Why not champion all races and religions at the international level, Dr M? Have you forgotten that you are the prime minister of a multi-racial, multi-religious nation?

Bravemalaysian: Our country has so many problems of its own that need to be put right but instead Mahathir is trying to carve a name for himself on the international scene with this summit.

He has caused friction with countries such as India, China, US and Saudi Arabia.

Mahathir must go before more damage is done. We don't need him for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Kuala Lumpur next year because Apec is no longer an important platform that it used to be.

The only ones who will stand to lose when he steps down are the useless cabinet ministers whose own survival depend on Mahathir remaining as PM.

Athena: Mahathir wants to feel important. Nothing else.

The KL Summit, besides wasting taxpayers’ money, has been snubbed by several Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia.

Even his good friends, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave Mahathir the cold shoulder treatment.

The KL Summit is not going to serve any purpose except boost his ego, and it is already doomed to fail.

Even the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has snubbed Mahathir and hosted a dinner for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Turkish embassy here.

PB: Mahathir sees Islam as an instrument that he can use to exert geopolitical influence, without which Malaysia would be an insignificant player.

The question is, how damaging is the collateral damage to internal domestic politics?

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