YOURSAY | Perhaps France is practising its version of 'supremacy'

YOURSAY | ''Ketuananism' expects minorities to acquiesce to the views, preferences and practices of the majority.'

Dr M claims 'kill millions of French' remark misrepresented, expresses disgust

Vijay47: This is vintage Dr Mahathir Mohamad. A coward with his typical pathetic efforts at squealing out of universal condemnation for racist outbursts he thought would paint him as a new Saladin in the Malay-Muslim world, only to retreat tail between his legs when he subsequently realises that he had again misfired in his excess.

If protests against you are expressed strongly, it is only because you are unworthy of any deference to your age. You have the audacity to now claim your statement was misrepresented, your words were taken out of context to make it seem you were promoting violence. Of course, you were.

Even if you had not actually called on Muslims to kill French people, your words taken as a whole, yes, even and especially with the redeeming words you allege were concealed, would have been read as an invitation to kill by certain people already confused and misguided enough to believe that any offence to their religion had to be matched with death.

How would anyone interpret “Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large, the Muslims have not applied the 'eye for an eye' law. Muslims don't”?

What did you mean by “and to kill millions”? Three is not enough? In the immediate aftermath of a savage killing in a church, are these the incendiary words expected of a 95-year-old man? And you now wring your hands and whine that you were taken out of context.

Your statement did not carry any conciliatory tint at all, that even in the face of religious offence, the response cannot be murder. Your only demand was that the “French should teach their people to respect other people’s feelings”. And I suppose if the French don’t, the consequences are their fault.

This is not the first time you have earned worldwide reprehension and disgust. Can we hope it would be the last?

MS: ‘Ketuananism’, whether in Malaysia or in France, expects minorities to acquiesce to the views, preferences and practices of the majority.

It cannot be acceptable in Malaysia and repugnant everywhere else. So, former prime minister Mahathir should start by speaking up against it here. But then, he is the chief proponent of that toxic ideology.

Shovelnose: A taste of your own medicine perhaps? So, Mahathir, you expect others to teach their own to be sensitive of a certain segment only, but there is no need to reciprocate?

What happens in France is another matter, it's not Malaysia, where your sorts "reign supreme". When commenting on the happenings on the other side of the pasture, surely you do not intend to mean anything on your side of the turf, do you?

Or are you implying some sort of similarity in your call? Complex, but today's Malaysia is certainly out of whack.

Vgeorgemy: We can’t change the historical injustice done by the previous generations. The forefathers of the French, and other colonial masters, conducted atrocities to the population of the occupied territories.

The invading army of the Muslim Mogul empire has conducted such atrocities in India. We can’t justify the current atrocities against Indian Muslims on account of the 17th Century actions. Our leaders should not justify the horrors of the day with such historical injustices.

OceanMaster: According to Mahathir, Muslims have the right to kill millions. Really?

There are also other civilisations who then have the same rights too, based on the atrocities inflicted on them for centuries.

Much of the killings and genocide happened in the dark medieval era. The human race has moved on, becoming a lot more civilised. How, in the world, can anyone justify the beheading of innocent people today?

So, nothing has been taken out of context here. For someone harbouring controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, and constantly advocating hegemony, racism and bigotry over the minorities, we know Mahathir well, and it is no surprise he wrote this.

The minorities here may not have the voice but the rest of the world does. You deserve the criticism.

Coward: For someone who is not only not sensitive to religious harmony but indeed plays the religion card time and again, to ask someone else to be sensitive is really too rich for me.

If we take his past behaviour into account and looking at the text and his command of English, it is difficult to sustain his argument that this is not seen as possible incitement.

He is used to getting away with things like this. I am glad he met his match.

Of course, Facebook and Twitter are also biased as well. Issues involving non-Christian religions will be construed as incitement and get past their filtering because it is not considered incitement in the West, even if it causes problem elsewhere. They are just not as biased as him.

My view on freedom of speech is always conditioned on "cause no harm" everywhere, Malaysia or not. Since his statement, even accepting his argument at face value may cause violence elsewhere. It is not acceptable.

Fiat Justitia: Good doctors know that for every action there is a reaction.

As a public figure and two-time PM – perhaps the oldest politician on earth - you should know your every pronouncement will be scrutinised, so why should this be an exception?

But we're all used to your style of spinning things whenever you are caught with your pants down, in a manner of speaking. It's just that this time you have brought shame not only to yourself but also to the nation.

Greensleeves0822: At this age and time, what is most needed is for the world to be magnanimous and kinder for a more peaceful existence in the face of racial and religious tensions.

We certainly don't need opinions and bias comments to stir up further strife and to distort reality to cause unnecessary misunderstandings among people of different beliefs.

In a nutshell, if you have nothing positive to say to bring on a solution or a better understanding. Just keep your gap shut and your fingers off the keyboard.

Quo Vadis Malaysia: Next time, if I am angry with a friend, I'll write, "I have the right to chop off your head. But I won't because I am not a violent person."

Isn’t is it a threat if my friend chooses to report me?

YOURSAY | Did the rest of the world misinterpret Mahathir?

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