[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 146 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S12852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONDEMNATION OF ANTI-SEMITIC STATEMENTS BY MAHATHIR MOHAMAD

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise this evening to call the 
Senate's attention to a despicable expression of hatred that occurred 
in Malaysia yesterday. In his address to the opening of the 57-nation 
summit of Islamic nations, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir 
Mohamad, urged Muslims around the world to unite against the Jews who 
he says rule the world by proxy.
  Dr. Mahathir is a man known for his incendiary public condemnations 
of the United States, Israel, and the western world. Yesterday, his 
rhetoric escalated, or should I say degenerated, to a new level of 
hate. Using the foul canards Hitler and other anti-Semites have 
repeated throughout history, he accused the Jewish people of gaining 
control of the most powerful countries.
  He said ``they, this tiny community, have become a world power,'' and 
he urged the 1.3 billion Muslims throughout the world to fight this 
``enemy.'' That is his definition. How was the speech received? 
According to today's New York Times, it got a standing ovation from the 
kings and presidents, sheiks and emirs, including key U.S. allies, 
gathered in Malaysia's capital, Putrajaya. I believe these comments are 
likely to encourage violence against Jewish people worldwide, and 
especially in Israel.
  The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) charter calls for 
creating a favorable atmosphere for the promotion of cooperation and 
understanding between member states and other countries. But how can it 
be so, if the Prime Minister's remarks aptly capture the views of the 
OIC members? After all, they gave him a standing ovation. One has to 
wonder if they really want to promote peace between their nations and 
western democracies.
  The Prime Minister of Malaysia, a country with one of the world's 
biggest Muslim populations, essentially expressed an open invitation 
for hate crimes and terrorism. Therefore, I am introducing a resolution 
that puts the Senate on record as repudiating Dr. Mohamad's loathsome 
remarks to the OIC.
  My resolution also asks President Bush, who will be traveling to 
Southeast Asia next week, to repudiate Dr. Mohamad's vile sentiments 
when the two participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 
meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 20.
  I am pleased that Senator Smith, Senator Feinstein, Senator Clinton, 
Senator Corzine, Senator Boxer, Senator Daschle, Senator Dodd, Senator 
Schumer, Senator Hatch, Senator Murray, Senator Coleman, Senator Wyden, 
Senator Brownback, Senator Reid, Senator Leahy, Senator Graham of 
Florida, Senator Bayh, and Senator Chambliss are all cosponsors of my 
resolution.
  I believe the leaders of the Muslim world should be encouraging 
mutual tolerance and understanding between people of different faiths. 
Instead, Dr. Mohamad's anti-Semitic remarks will only serve to 
undermine the peace and security people of all faiths seek so 
earnestly.
  I send a resolution to the desk and ask for its immediate 
consideration. This resolution has been cleared, as I understand it, on 
both sides.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 247) calling on the President to 
     condemn the anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by Dr. Mahathir 
     Mohamad, the outgoing prime minister of Malaysia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble 
be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 247) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 247

       Whereas the outgoing prime minister of Malaysia, Dr. 
     Mahathir Mohamad, has become notorious over the years for his 
     virulent opposition to Israel;
       Whereas Dr. Mahathir opened the 57-nation, October 2003 
     summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 
     Malaysia by characterizing Israel and Jews around the world 
     as ``the enemy'' who ``rule the world by proxy'';
       Whereas Dr. Mahathir's anti-Semitic remarks are despicable 
     and will serve to incite further sectarian violence; and
       Whereas President George W. Bush will be traveling to 
     Thailand to attend the October 20-21, 2003, meeting in 
     Bangkok of the leaders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 
     (APEC), which Dr. Mahathir will also be attending: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) thoroughly repudiates the damaging rhetoric of the 
     outgoing prime minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, 
     which makes peace in the Middle East and around the world 
     more elusive; and
       (2) calls upon President George W. Bush, on behalf of the 
     United States, to condemn Dr. Mahathir's injurious sentiments 
     when the President and the prime minister meet to attend the 
     October 20-21, 2003, meeting in Bangkok of the leaders of 
     Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague, the 
Senator from New Jersey, for introducing this resolution in such a 
timely manner. I was proud to be an original cosponsor. I believe it is 
essential the Senate and our Congress be on record standing against 
hate and bias and discrimination, and particularly the kind of anti-
Semitism that flowed at the meeting yesterday in Malaysia.
  I join with Senator Lautenberg in urging the President to raise this 
directly with the Malaysian Government and with the other participants 
in the APEC meeting. I appreciate the quick action of Senator 
Lautenberg in ensuring our Senate could go on record while this meeting 
is still occurring.

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