Malaysia bans magazine defaming Moslem states

Malaysia bans magazine defaming Moslem states

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia has revoked the permit of a Moslem magazine which Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said reviled Moslem nations and slandered the image of Moslem leaders, the New Sunday Times reported.

The paper quoted Mahathir as saying the locally published magazine, Muslim Media International, used its articles to retard the growth of Moslem nations.

Neither government officials nor anyone at the magazine was immediately available for comment on the newspaper report.

Mahathir said the Home Ministry had received protests from Moslem countries which were unhappy with the magazine's editorial content, the newspaper said.

"It was using democratic privileges to tarnish democracy itself. If such people are allowed to operate, Moslem nations will never progress," he was quoted as telling reporters on Saturday.

The English-language Muslim Media International is published bimonthly in Malaysia and circulated to local and foreign subscribers.

Its publishing permit was revoked in December, the newspaper said.

Mahathir said the magazine also raised the issue of calls by politicians from Malaysia's ruling United Front coalition for the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) party to drop the word Islam from the party name.

"The magazine interpreted the call as a stand amounting to discarding Islam from Malaysia," Mahathir was quoted as saying.

"This is a form of instigation which cannot be allowed," he said.

Malaysia's ruling United Front coalition will have to call general elections by October and Mahathir's United Malays National Organization, the main party on the coalition, is seeking to maintain its vote among the country's majority Moslem population.