Gaza Freedom Flotilla Protestors take to the streets in KL

My wife's former student who is a medical houseman rang up on Friday afternoon. He sounded so excited. He called from Kampong Baru mosque in Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers. He said Anwar Ibrahim is in the middle of a rousing speech. Anwar's spirited speech almost swept him away. He said that thousands are joining the protests.

Anwar Ibrahim has once again taken to the streets. This time it is for the cause of the Palestinians. He led the crowd to protest the recent Israeli piracy and brutal murder of humanitarian aid activists of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. For a person who is about to be thrown out of Parliament and worse still on the verge of being imprisoned once again over malicious and humiliating charges, he shows no restrain.

The opposition party Pakatan Rakyat and other NGO's organised and led 10,000 protestors to take to the US embassy. Anwar was allowed in with other leaders to deliver the protest memorandum. This was obviously omitted and blacked out by mainstream TV and media. Instead, much was mentioned of a smaller protest at the national mosque led by UMNO Youth, Perkasa, 4B and PPIM which could only pull 200 protestors.

Anwar Ibrahim was persistently accused by UMNO of being a Zionist agent until he turned the tables on them by revealing the depth and extent of the Israeli connected APCO role in BN's government. This even caused ripples in the American Jewish organisations who labelled him anti-Semitic, their usual ploy. When asked, Anwar said that he was not being racist, he firmly believes in engagement with all sides but he could never compromise on issues of sovereignty and national security.

Malaysia has to get this one right. In trying to appease the US, Malaysia should not compromise its independence and principles in its policies either in terms of the situation in Iran, Afghanistan or Palestine.

Zahid ada Problem!

Zahid ada Problem

1. Dia tidak dapat bedakan siapa PM Israel, siapa Netanyahu dan siapa Barak.

2. Dia agak dangkal dan naif apabila cuba membayangkan bahawa pemimpin Zionis yang sangat licik memandang tinggi kepadanya dan memberi penghormatan kepadanya.

3. Dia tidak tahu bahawa Israel memang sudah iktiraf kerajaan Palestinian Authority sejak perjanjian Oslo pada 1993 lagi semasa Arafat. Israel cuma tidak mahu keamanan!

4. Dia bersalaman dan berjumpa secara terang-terangan dengan pemimpin negara yang tidak di iktiraf mahupun ada hubungan diplomatik dengan Malaysia. Lebih buruk lagi, tiada pemimpin atau umat Islam yang bermaruah mahu dilihat bersama seorang pembunuh seperti Ehud Barak.

5. Dia ada masalah bahasa Inggeris. Tidak mungkin mereka bertemu berduaan sahaja. Kalau bertemu dalam keadaan bahasa berterabur, belum sempat beradu lagi Israel sudah jumpa lubuk negara.

Di bawah ini dikutip daripada Aisehman.org:-

-------------------------------------------------------

This is a riot.

A few days ago, defence minister Zahid Hamidi said he had met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Middle East:

… “I said that if he wanted to have a meeting with me, he should not bring along any Israeli aide or photographer and he should not indulge in double standards, and he agreed,” Dr Ahmad Zahid told Malaysian reporters here. He is on a six-day visit to Lebanon.

Zahid said that at their meeting of 35 minutes, he stated that if Israel was sincere about establishing peace in West Asia, it should recognise the Palestinian government.

“If Israel wants to extend a hand to establish peace, it must not resort to violence against the people of Palestine and neighbouring countries,” he said. [Bernama via Malaysian Insider]

Turns out it wasn’t Netanyahu:

Special Officer (Media) Abd Halim Ab Majid here today … explained that Ahmad Zahid had instead met with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak during a cocktail function at the air show. [Bernama via Malaysian Insider]

I can understand Zahid’s confusion, inexcusable though it was. Barak is a former prime minister.

Talking heads: It’s remarkable how politicians put up the same face when they open their mouths. That said, guess which one of the three is not prime minister material.

I can also understand a member of the Malaysian government meeting with a member of the Israeli government. These behind-the-scenes, out-of-the-public-eye manoeuvres between governments happen all the time.

But there’s a problem here — Malaysia does not recognise Israel, so Zahid should not have told the media about the meeting.

What was he trying to do? Brag about lecturing the Israeli prime minister?

I HOPE he spoke through a translator.

Zahid’s command of English is so deadly it has the potential to start wars.

Obama's Offer of a New Beginning

You have got to admit that President Obama’s speech is impressive. It was so well rehearsed and orchestrated, almost without flaws. He touched base with the middle ground, weaving through the seven issues highlighting his concern and depth in showing his hope in confronting these academically. He preached co-existence and mutual understanding. He even used Islamic terms, concepts and quoted a sprinkling of quranic translations. As if to preempt skeptics, he purposely declared that a speech can never tackle all the complexities but he promises a beginning.

This is new and quite groundbreaking for any US or Western leader to acknowledge and address directly the concerns of the Muslim world in a language of dialogue and in trying to speak as one of their own.

Shall he deliver minding the powerful Israeli lobby, the prejudice in the West and the skepticism of Americans themselves?

His speech was delivered in a typically repressive Muslim country where Arabs hold their leaders and themselves in contempt.

For starters, he should begin by deescalating the war in Pakistan, withdraw from Afghanistan and not see resistance as violent extremism, the new euphemism. His words are worthless to the victims of the Swat tragedy which is ongoing even as he speaks of peace.

We shall remain weary of such promises however eloquent and charismatic his words. Still he sounds far better than Bush!



Points to ponder from his speech:

He acknowledges civilization's debt, cultural and scientific contributions to Islam.

He did not use the word terror or terrorists preferring the more generalized term, extremist and violence.

He urges the world to avert and avoid stereotyping Muslims, in turn perceiving and profiling one another. This spells good news in confronting and getting rid of Islamophobia.

He mentioned and treated with respect the prophets Moses, Jesus and Muhammad by saying the salutations (peace be upon them).

He mentioned Hamas without the usual equating it with terror. Instead he recognizes their popularity but urges them to refrain from armed resistance. (The word resistance was used to Israel’s dismay).

He admits the suffering of the Palestinians in the same breath and line as reminding of the Jewish holocaust (to the consternation of Israel).

He promises to withdraw all US troops from the Muslim countries invaded when they are finished.

He is against torture and still promises to close down Guantanamo.

He mentions publicly his full name as Barack Husein Obama.

He admitted Iraq was a mistake but not in so many words.

He says that he is against all nuclear weapons and is seen to be more receptive towards nuclear energy for Iran.

He admits America’s role in bringing down a democratically elected Iranian government in the 50’s.

He offers dialogue with Iran without preconditions.

He presents a moderate and reasonable view of Muslim women. He does not mock the hijab but almost defends the freedom to don one. He subtly exposes those hostile towards Islam and religion under the pretext of liberalism (Sarkozy’s France may not like this).

He promises engagement and offers sharing in entrepreneurship and economic progress.

He showed unequivocal and categorical support for Israel. He stresses unshaken bonds to Israel and bases it on the Jewish nation’s tragic history. He even urged Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

He insists that war in Afghanistan and Pakistan is justified in pursuit of the violent extremists responsible for 9/11. Again he uses the same al Qaeda threat line except he studiously avoids the word terrorist.