re: Mahathir's speech:
from your link:
<...relative to a lot of Muslims, Mahathir's position is moderate. He's not advocating the use of violence to exterminate the state of Israel. He's advocating the use of brainpower -- to exterminate the state of Israel.>
What he is advocating, is that the Muslim world take, toward Israel, the same stance China has toward Taiwan. China has not given up on annexing Taiwan, and gaining power over that "rebel province". But they have agreed that re-unification will happen by peaceful means. In effect, that means, if Taiwan doesn't agree, it never happens.
So, it's true, he wants the end of Israel. But, by saying Muslims should use peaceful means, and concentrate for now on developing their economies, he is steering his fellow Muslims towards indefinitely co-existing with the Jewish State. When you look at his specific proposals, what he actually says Muslims should do now, it is a policy of peaceful coexistence.
And, yes, it's easy to miss the core pragmatism and conciliation of his message, because of his inflammatory rhetoric. I would put it to you, that many of the speeches of President Bush, sound just as inflammatory and racist, to Muslim ears. Bush's "crusade" comment got the same response in the Muslim world, as Mahathir saying "Jews control the world" does in the U.S. |
