PM: Country going haywire facing two opposing groups of hate-mongers

Two opposing groups of hate-mongers are making the country go haywire, claimed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He said one group hates Islam, while the other group carries an interpretation of Islam filled with hatred.

“If it’s the government, it’s all evil, only their tribe and group are good. This kind of asabiyah (tribalism) will destroy the social fabric of society.

“So, we are forced to face these two forces: on one side, there is Islamophobia, where Islam cannot be mentioned at all.

“On the other side, they are the only Islamic group, and everyone else is deviant, evil, and oppressive,” he said while speaking at the 24K Huffaz Gathering at the Federal Territory Mosque yesterday.

The term “asabiyah” (tribalism and sectarianism) has a negative connotation because it contains elements of extremism or excessive loyalty to one’s group or tribe.

“This country is going haywire. On one side, as soon as Islam is mentioned, they react angrily,” Anwar said.

He said such critics accused the government of using Islamic programmes to incite the people, but argued that there was nothing wrong with such initiatives.

He cautioned against adopting a Western Islamophobic mindset that discourages even the discussion of Islam.

He clarified that the government was not promoting oppression, emphasising their respect for the rights of non-Muslims.

“So, we have to deal with this side. There is another side that brings an interpretation of Islam filled with hatred, where everyone else is bad. If the government is evil, if (Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) is mentioned, they see him as entirely evil,” he said, referring to his deputy, who was also present at the same event.

“There is no goodness. If it’s evil, it's the government; only their tribe and group are good,” he said.

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