KL Summit not meant to isolate anyone, says Dr M

There is no intention to discriminate or leave anyone out in the organisation of the three-day Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 which commences today, assured Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir (photo) said Muslim countries are gathered here not to discuss religion but the state of affairs in the Muslim world.

The premier said this amidst concerns raised by Saudi Arabia and several other Muslim countries over the meeting hosted by Malaysia.

"We are not discriminating or isolating anyone," Mahathir told the KL Summit without naming any country or leader.

"We are attempting to start small and if these ideas, proposals and solutions are acceptable and proved workable, then we hope to take it up to the larger platform for consideration," he said.

"Despite that, we have also invited almost all Muslim nations to participate in this summit albeit at different levels," he said, adding that he wished the Muslim world will go a little way forward towards solving their problems.

Mahathir went on to speak about various problems faced by the Muslim world including how some countries are being destroyed, causing their citizens to flee and forcing them to seek refuge in non-Muslim countries.

"We also see Muslims perpetrating violent acts, killing innocent victims, men, women, children, the sick and the incapacitated.

"They have done this because their own countries are unable to provide security for them or do anything to retake the land that was seized by others," he said.

They then resort to violence and to seek revenge but doing so will not achieve their objectives, he added.

"They have created fear by their actions. And now this Islamophobia, this unjustified fear of Islam has denigrated our religion in the eyes of the world.

"But we need to know how this fear is generated, whether it is true or mere propaganda of our detractors or a combination of both," Mahathir said. 

Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who were initially slated to deliver their speeches at the summit were not in attendance.

Mahathir with Erdogan (left). 

Also present are Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al-Thani, Iran President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkey counterpart President Recep Tayyib Erdogan. 

On Dec 17, Mahathir said he had clarified to King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia that the summit is not intended to create a new bloc to replace the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Critics have raised concerns that the first-time KL Summit will be a parallel platform against the OIC.

Instead, the summit aims to, among others, deliberate and find new and workable solutions to problems afflicting the Muslim world.

According to a statement issued by the summit yesterday, the event attracted 450 delegates from 56 countries. 

In his keynote address later, Mahathir opined that none of the Muslim countries can be classified as a developed nation despite their immense wealth.

"They are all weak and incapable of protecting the ummah, as is their duty by their religion," he said.

"We cannot deny that we are largely dependent on the non-Muslims for most of our needs."

Muslim countries have achieved little in upholding justice, which will determine the well-being of the citizens, he said.

He said despite Muslim countries declaring that they do not condone violence, regardless of which sect they belong to, their detractors and victims care little about such differences and will just blame the Muslim world as a whole. 

He also noted some Muslims follow the wrong interpretations of the religion.

"This is the present situation. It was not so in the past. We know that in the past, the Islamic Civilisation was highly respected," he said.

He wishes the summit to be the platform for Muslim to discuss various issue.

"It is imperative for Muslim countries to focus on the development of our countries so we can be strong and develop the Muslims," he said.  - Mkini