Call for Muslims Worldwide to Boycott Dutch Products

Dr. Mahathir: Tun Mahathir calls on Muslims worldwide to boycott Dutch products
Saturday, March 29 @ 20:25:46 MYT

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad called upon Muslims worldwide to boycott Dutch products in protest of a film released Monday on the Internet which criticised Islam’s holy book, the Quran.

He said such a boycottt could result in The Netherlands having to “close shop”, as Muslims made up the wealthiest portion of the world’s population and were also the biggest importers.

However, in order to be effective, all 1.3 billion Muslims in the world must unite in the boycott and put the interest of Islam and Muslims over that of individual needs.

“We must not be afraid of losing trade with them. If we do, then we won’t be thinking as Muslims, but more for our own self intersts,” he told reporters after opening the Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organisation’s (Perkim) 46th annual general meeting at a hotel here, today.

Dr Mahathir was referring to Fitna, a 15-minute film posted on a website on Thursday that highly criticised Islam, setting verses of the Quran against a background of violent images from terrorist attacks.

Dutch legislator Geert Wilders created the film, which also shows statements from radical clerics and cited verses from the Quran interspersed with images of the Sept 11 attack on the United States, the 2004 commuter train bombings in Spain and the murder later that year of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh on an Amsterdam street.

Earlier, Dr Mahathir had said the film was a result of misconceptions about Islam and there was also a “critical motive behind it”.

“They will continue to do this until we show to them Islam is a good religion, that we are not violent people, that we don’t tell lies to people...but this must be shown in practice by the Muslim community,” he said.

On the home front, Dr Mahathir who is also Perkim president, said it was very important for Perkim to give the right impression of Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims alike so that there would be no misunderstanding on the religion, which could lead to fear, suspicion or hostility against Islam. — BERNAMA


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

Mahathir Gesa Umat Islam Seluruh Dunia Pulau Produk Belanda

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Mac (Bernama) -- Bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyeru umat Islam di seluruh dunia memulaukan produk Belanda sebagai satu bantahan berkesan berikutan sebuah filem Belanda, Fitna, yang mengkritik Al-Quran yang disiarkan di Internet.

Beliau berkata pemulauan itu boleh menyebabkan Belanda lumpuh kerana umat Islam meliputi sebahagian besar penduduk dunia yang kaya dan juga pengimport terbesar.

Bagaimanapun, semua 1.3 bilion umat islam di dunia mestilah bersatu dan meletakkan kepentingan Islam dan umat Islam daripada keperluan individu jika mahukan pemulauan ini berkesan.

"Kalau orang Islam bersatu kita mudah saja ambil tindakan. Kalau kita pulau barangan dari Belanda dia tutup negeri, pasal yang beli banyak sekali, yang kaya sekali di dunia ini adalah orang Islam. "Kalau semua 1,300 juta orang Islam kata kami tidak kan beli barang dari Belanda, maka barulah berkesan. "Kalau nak pulau buatlah betul-betul.

Tapi orang kita kata, dia (Belanda) pun berniaga dengan kita juga, kalau kita tahan dia, dia rugilah. Jadi (kalau begini) kita tak fikir sebagai orang Islam, kita fikir untuk kepentingan diri," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan mesyuarat agung ke-46 Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim) di sini hari ini.

Filem Fitna itu, selama 15 minit yang disiarkan dalam sebuah laman web pada 27 Mac yang mengkritik Islam, yang menunjukkan surah Al-Quran dengan berlatar belakangkan imej keganasan akibat serangan pengganas.

Ahli majlis perundangan Belanda Geert Wilders menerbitkan filem itu, yang menunjukkan kenyataan daripada paderi yang radikal dan menyebut surah Al-Quran dengan diselitkan imej serangan 11 Sept terhadap Pusat Dagangan Dunia (WTC) di New York, pengeboman kereta api penumpang di Madrid, Sepanyol pada 2004 dan pembunuhan pengelur filem Belanda Theo van Gogh di Amsterdam street pada akhir tahun itu.

Sebelum itu, Dr Mahathir berkata filem tesebut disiarkan berikutan salah faham dan "sudah pasti ada motif kritikal".

"Mereka akan terus berbuat demikian sehingga kita menunjukkan Islam itu satu agama yang baik, kita bukan orang yang ganas, bahawa kita tidak berbohong kepada orang ramai...tetapi ini mesti ditunjukkan dalam amalan oleh masyarakat Islam ," kata beliau.

-- BERNAMA