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Former Malaysian PM says 7 October led to ‘collapse’ of Israeli narrative

October 7, 2024 at 12:34 pm

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during an exclusive interview as he visits London within 26th anniversary of the D-8 organization in London, United Kingdom on June 23, 2023 [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday that events on 7 October last year have led to the “collapse of the Israeli narrative” in the world and renewed the “Muslim world’s awareness.” Mahathir made his comment at the opening of the seventh conference of the Kuala Lumpur Forum for Thought and Civilisation held in Istanbul.

“Since its establishment, the forum has not deviated from its main goal, which is to bring together thinkers and academics interested in the affairs and well-being of the Ummah,” said the former Malaysian leader, who is the president of the organisation. “Choosing the first anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood for this meeting is very important, as the Palestinians decided to send a message to the world that they are determined to liberate their land while rejecting Israeli policies, siege and settlement.”

That operation saw Palestinian factions, led by Hamas, attacking Israel’s military bases and settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip, killing and capturing Israelis in response to “the daily crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people and their sanctities, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The subsequent pro-Palestine protests by US and European students, said Mahathir, as well as the historic move by South Africa to charge the occupation state for genocide at the International Court of Justice, brought about the collapse of the Israeli narrative regarding its occupation and crimes.

Touching on the problems of the Muslim world, Mahathir said that the poor must not be forgotten, and made a reference to the obligation to pay Zakat to help those in need. “If we cannot help them, they will leave their country, and this is a shameful condemnation of the failure of Islamic countries… to provide the environment that Islam urges us to provide.”

Moreover, he added that, “While we continue to study religious sciences, we must pay attention to worldly sciences… to a level allowing us to make contributions to science… Muslims in the past were pioneers in these sciences, but today we have fallen behind and left knowledge to the non-Muslims… [We even] rely on others for weapons to defend ourselves.”

This is why Muslims are killed en masse, he said. “The enemies of our nation see us only as Muslims who are all ‘terrorists’, and if we do not unite, we will be destroyed.”

No discussion on such matters is complete without talking about the Palestinians, insisted Mahathir. “What happened to them and the inability of Muslims to defend them and respond to the genocide highlights the weakness and division of Muslims.”

Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza for the past year has killed 42,000 people, mainly women and children, and wounded at least 97,000 more. An estimated 11,000 are missing, presumed dead, under the rubble of their homes and other civilian infrastructure destroyed by Israel.

The occupation state has expanded the scope of its genocide in Gaza to include Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, through intensive air strikes and a ground invasion, disregarding international condemnations. At least 1,200 Lebanese have been killed, with thousands wounded, Anadolu has reported.

UNICEF: Israel killed more than 100 children in Lebanon in 11 days