The Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry says that real Qur’an-believing Muslims abhor violence and suicide bombers, and instead live in peaceful co-existence, mingling freely with peoples of other religions and races.
Well, that’s a relief. But I do wish that Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz would go farther. Here again the flat assertion is made. No attempt is made to refute the jihadist exegesis of the Qur’an and Sunnah. We are told again and again that the true Islam is peaceful. But the jihadists are the ones quoting chapter and verse of the Qur’an: 2:190-193; 3:139; 5:51; 9:5; 9:29; 22:39; 47:4; 61:9; 98:6; so many others. On the other side? 2:256 (with no indication of any awareness of the exegesis of Qutb and others) and 5:32 (without 5:33). What are we to think? Must we just ignore this because Rafidah is saying what we want to hear? Can we not ask for more — some sign that she can actually convince Muslims to lay down their arms and stop waging jihad? Without that ability, her fine words are essentially meaningless.
“Wrong To Equate Terrorists With Fundamental Muslims,” from Bernama, with thanks to Nicolei:
MILAN, Feb 28 (Bernama) — The West, which is seen as being on a collision course with the Muslim world, is completely wrong in equating Muslim trouble-makers with fundamental Muslims, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, said.
Clarifying what is surely a common misconception among westerners, no thanks to terrorists and trouble-makers resorting to violence and killings in the name of the religion, Rafidah said “fundamental Muslims are those who follow closely the teachings of the Holy Quran.”
Muslims who follow the fundamental teachings of the Quran abhor violence, suicide bombers, and instead live in peaceful co-existence, mingling freely with peoples of other religions and races, she said when touching on religious tolerance during a seminar on “Business Opportunities in Malaysia” here Monday….
Rafidah told the 300 participants at the seminar from Italy that “you are completely wrong in regarding Muslim trouble-makers as fundamental Muslims.”
“Next time, you hear of a fundamental Muslim, think of me. I am a fundamental Muslim. I play golf, I dress this way (in a baju kurung), and go all over the world doing my work. Please do not equate fundamental Muslims and terrorists, there’s a big difference,” the minister said.
“I do not look like (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden,” she said to the obvious amusement of the audience.