Mahathir, Macron and Muslim sensibility

FMT:

Of Mahathir, Macron and Muslim sensibility

by Joe Samad

The primary school rhyme, “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me” is forever etched in my mind. Those were the innocent days, but as you grow up, things change as you are now responsible for your own words or actions.

In the case of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his words for the French people have boomeranged on his stature as a statesman and harmed Malaysia’s image. Mahathir sparked worldwide outrage when he wrote that “Muslims have a right to be angry and kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past”.

No matter how you read his statement, and from whatever angle, the outcome is still the same. People don’t read the fine print in documents or statements, and they pounce on strong words like the “right to kill”.

In the court of public opinion all Malaysians have also become guilty by association. It doesn’t matter whether you like French kisses, baguettes, or g-strings, the words “right to kill” demand a strong international pushback.

This was a senseless statement from Mahathir when France needed sympathy over the beheading of its citizen. The abhorrent idea of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” has no place in a civilised society, period.

There are reports in social media that say Malaysians are being affected by Mahathir’s inconsiderate statement, especially students and those working abroad. People around the world are looking at Malaysia in a different light during these sensitive times, especially if you are a Muslim.

No matter what you say, people in the western world, especially after 911, have this picture of Muslims as a bunch of terrorists, or intolerant beings or belonging to the medieval age.

A word of apology from Mahathir saying that his statement has been misconstrued and that he is sorry for the hurt caused to the French may help to make amends. It would also be helpful if the Malaysian government came out with a statement promptly to distance the nation from the fallout.

Although Mahathir does not currently hold any government position, his statement will still have repercussions, from him being a former premier and party leader and a current member of the Dewan Rakyat,

There should be immediate “political social distancing” from Mahathir. But I guess all Cabinet members are busy with “numbers” and are worried about their precarious positions if the government falls in November.

Since the 911 incident, Islam for the most part has been regarded as an “extremist” religion. Many Muslims have tried to change such views by preaching moderate Islam, compassion and human rights, only to find they are battling against growing extremist voices.

PAS is a good example of extremism in Malaysia. The Islamic party promotes the “ketuanan melayu” concept. Their sole agenda is imposing hudud laws and promoting a strict Islamic nation despite the fact that the official religion in Malaysia is already Islam.

Mahathir’s words may have conjured the meaning of giving people the licence to kill, although that was not the intention. Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt, though many would not agree.

The intricacies of the English language are hard to grasp when emotions are running high. It’s like Zakir Naik giving his sermons to non-English speaking Kelantanese, and when translated, he claims his messages have been misconstrued.

Mahathir was not the only one to claim that his words were taken out of context, French President Emmanuel Macron faced the same situation. A few weeks before the beheading of a teacher on the outskirts of Paris, some parts of the Muslim community were outraged over Macron’s stance towards Islam.

It sprung from a speech he made well before the incident. Macron had said “Islam is a religion which is experiencing a crisis today, all over the world,” citing tensions between fundamentalism, proper religious projects and politicians.

He said there was a need to “free Islam in France from foreign influences”. His remarks have drawn fire from Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with calls for a boycott of French products, as well as protests from Muslims all over the globe.

Just like Mahathir who claims his speech was taken out of context, the same can be said for Macron. On the flipside, nobody agrees with insulting cartoons against any religion, and Macron and the French people need to own up that they have gone too far in their zeal for freedom of expression.