Terrorist hunt must target non-Muslims also: Mahathir
Terrorist hunt must target non-Muslims also: Mahathir
Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur
Islamic nations would not support the international fight against
terrorism if the only targets were Muslims, Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday.
"If we were to say that only Muslims are terrorists, I feel it
will be difficult for Islamic countries to participate in
measures to merely hunt down the Muslim terrorists," Mahathir was
quoted as saying by the Bernama national news agency.
"We know that others are also terrorists ... we should hunt
down all terrorists irrespective of race, irrespective of
religion," he was quoted as saying.
Mahathir was speaking to reporters after recording a national
address to mark Hari Raya, the end of the Muslim fasting month of
Ramadhan. The address is expected to be broadcast Sunday, at the
start of Hari Raya.
Mahathir has condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the
United States, but opposes the U.S.-led military campaign in
Afghanistan, which he says will fail to destroy terrorists and is
harming innocent people.
"Strikes are not the way," Mahathir was quoted as saying. "A
more thoroughly planned action to target the terrorists must be
carried out, not launching bombs at random at all places."
Mahathir also renewed his defense of leader Yasser Arafat,
saying the Palestinian leader could not be expected to rein-in
extremist supporters while Israel continued violence against his
people.
Mahathir described Israel's strikes against Palestinian
targets as "rash retaliatory actions" and criticized the rest of
the world, which he said "remains silent" about the strikes.
Six Palestinians were killed on Friday during Israeli
incursions into West Bank villages, following two days of air
strikes on Palestinian buildings, retaliation for Palestinian
attacks.
The deaths were the latest from escalating violence in the
Middle East as Israel responds strongly to a spate of recent
suicide bombings which killed dozens of people.