KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 – Amid the fight for votes in Kuala Terengganu, an even more intense battle is on to capture the hearts and minds of Muslims in Malaysia with political leaders from either side of the divide using Israel’s bombing of the Gaza as an opportunity to burnish their own Islamic credentials and tarnish their rivals’.
With a majority of Malaysia’s Muslims backing the Palestinian cause, Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza is having a major impact on domestic politics here.
In recent weeks, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been the target of a campaign waged on the blogs and the Internet in general, accusing him of being in league with the United States and a party to the Annapolis Summit in 2007.The Annapolis Summit was a Middle East peace conference held at the US Naval Academy in Maryland in what was a highly-criticised attempt by the Bush administration to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Anwar was allegedly a signatory to an open letter signed by scores of prominent Americans expressing support for the summit and calling for an inclusive approach to any peace initiative.
The current Israeli invasion of Gaza is testament to the failure of that conference and other initiatives, but Anwar is now being accused of backing the US.
“I have consistently urged the recognition of Hamas and have been critical of Umno for sidelining the Hamas representative in Kuala Lumpur,” Anwar wrote on his blog yesterday in response to an attack from a reader.
“I have never touched on or supported the Annapolis Summit.”
Such is the unflinching backing of the Palestinian cause in Malaysia that any perception of being in league with the United States, which is seen as Israel’s ally, can be a political death knell.
The Islamist Pas and even their secular Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner DAP have been quick to condemn the brutal assault by Israel.
At least two public rallies have been held so far to condemn Israel and the United States.
The conflict in Gaza is fast drawing attention away from even the crucial by-election in Kuala Terengganu, because of the strong feeling for the Palestinian cause in Malaysia.
Even former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a constant critic of the current Malaysian administration, has taken time off from sniping against the government, to concentrate his resources on condemning Israel.
He has been repeatedly highlighting the Gaza problem in the past week on his popular blog, and even scored an interview on Mingguan Malaysia, the Sunday edition of Utusan Malaysia, yesterday to talk about the issue.
But Anwar, who has had to dodge allegations of being backed by the US for many years, took the opportunity to also attack Dr Mahathir, the man who sacked him as deputy prime minister and accused him of being a homosexual, for having Jewish links.
“My stand has never wavered even though I believe in talking to all sides,” Anwar wrote in his blog, while describing Israel as the Zionist regime.
“This is not like the pretence of some leaders who have Jewish advisers, pay millions to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff and has secret meetings with Donald Rumsfeld,” he wrote in an apparent reference to Dr Mahathir.
In 2006, Dr Mahathir was forced to deny he ever authorised a payment of US$1.2 million to disgraced lobbyist Abramoff, a conservative Jew, to secure a meeting with President George W Bush in 2002. He confirmed, however, that the government made the arrangements with Abramoff but he did not remember who paid the fee.
Dr Mahathir will not want to be reminded of the incident, given the current anti-Israeli climate in Malaysia.
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Israel has to responds to safeguard its people from the rockets by retaliating even if it risk condemnation when the inevitable civilians casualty is reported.
Should the Israelis bear the murder of its people quietly? If so what laws or who has the right to punish or stop the rocket attackers.
Should terrorism be rewarded ? If the Palestinian militant were to get their way by terrorizing Israel with rockets, will the world be happy. Should all unhappy people then terrorize others so that they can have their ways.
The Thai "Democrats" demonstrators or should I say rioters, brought down the pro-Taksin government by rioting. Now the Pro-Taksin demonstrators are doing the same. So, laws are about order through commonly accepted rules, if you ignore these rules, should you expect others to obey them.
There is no ends to terrorism. If you use violence to make your point, should your enemy do the same?