[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 147 (Monday, October 20, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                U.S. MUST NOT ACQUIESCE TO ANTI-SEMITISM

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                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 20, 2003

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my 
colleagues a disturbing editorial that appeared in the Saturday, 
October 18 edition of the New York Times.
  It details statements of anti-semitism voiced by the Prime Minister 
of Malayasia, Mahathir Mohamad, in a speech to the 57-member 
Organization of the Islamic Conference, and approving comments by the 
Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, and Afghan President Hamid 
Karzai.
  There is little doubt that we in the United States have much to learn 
from the leaders of Moslem countries, and I think it is important that 
we pursue closer political, economic and cultural ties with these 
nations. Americans are sympathetic to the plight of the Muslim world.
  At the same time, I believe we cannot tolerate international anti-
semitism or allow anti-semitic statements that are expressed at 
international forums to go unchallenged. While Americans are 
sympathetic to the plight of the Muslim world, we will never accept 
leaders who preach hate and prejudice.
  The Times editorial reports that the European Union refused to 
condemn the Malaysian Prime Minister's comments. I therefore call upon 
the Bush Administration to do so. By failing to respond to this anti-
semitism, we become party to it by virtue of our silence.

                [From the New York Times, Oct. 18, 2003]

                         Islamic Anti-Semitism

       It is hard to know what is more alarming--a toxic statement 
     of hatred of Jews by the Malaysian prime minister at an 
     Islamic summit meeting this week or the unanimous applause it 
     engendered from the kings, presidents and emirs in the 
     audience. The words uttered by the prime minister, Mahathir 
     Mohamad, in a speech to the 57-member Organization of the 
     Islamic Conference on Thursday were sadly familiar: Jews, he 
     asserted, may be few in number, but they seek to run the 
     world.
       ``The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million, 
     but today the Jews rule the world by proxy,'' he said. ``They 
     get others to fight and die for them.'' Muslims are ``up 
     against a people who think,'' he said, adding that the Jews 
     ``invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy 
     so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so that 
     they can enjoy equal rights with others.''
       When Israeli officials noted that such talk brought Hitler 
     to mind, the assembled leaders were mystified. Yemen's 
     foreign minister said he agreed entirely with his Malaysian 
     colleague, adding, ``Israelis and Jews control most of the 
     economy and the media in the world.'' The Egyptian foreign 
     minister, Ahmed Maher, called the speech ``a very, very wise 
     assessment.'' Even the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said 
     the speech was ``very correct.''
       Perhaps the saddest element is just how impotent the 
     representatives of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims feel. When 
     Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia's foreign minister, sought to 
     contain the controversy, he explained that because of the 
     wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims feel ``sidelined or 
     marginalized,'' so please understand why they complain about 
     the power of a tiny competing group like the Jews.
       Sympathy for the Muslims' plight must not be confused with 
     the acceptance of racism. Most Muslims have indeed been 
     shoddily treated--by their own leaders, who gather at 
     feckless summit meetings instead of offering their people 
     what they most need: human rights, education and democracy.
       The European Union was asked to include a condemnation of 
     Mr. Mahathir's speech in its statement yesterday ending its 
     own summit. It chose not to, adding a worry that displays of 
     anti-Semitism are being met with inexcusable nonchalance.

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