Malaysia Condemns All Acts Of Terrorism And Extremism

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia condemns all acts of terrorism and extremism by any group that uses Islam to justify their atrocities. Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said their irresponsible actions had damaged the true image of Islam and "we must not allow the misconduct of an irresponsible few to dictate the world's view on Islam". "Consequent to this, the Muslim world is weighed down by the exaggerated fear, hatred and hostility towards Islam and Muslims. Perpetuated by Western stereotypes, Islamophobia has subjected Muslims to social, political and civic discrimination," he said at the 42nd Session of The Council of OIC Foreign Ministers (42nd ICFM) in Kuwait, Wednesday. His speech text was sent to Bernama, here, Thursday. "We are deeply saddened by the fact that the situation is further aggravated by the conflicts of Muslims pitting against each other and we cannot deny that there is an internal strife within the Muslim ummah, which has allowed certain groups to exploit the situation," he said. Therefore, he said, there was a need to reflect on the shortcomings within the Muslim ummah. Anifah said to this end, Malaysia believed that the moderation approach, which emphasised tolerance, understanding, mutual respect, dialogue and inclusiveness, were the key to addressing these problems. "The Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) is premised on moderation as a core value and a means to diffuse tensions. Therefore, Malaysia stands ready to work together with any member state to solve these internal conflicts within the Muslim ummah," he said. He said Malaysia also reaffirmed its support for a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "To this end, we commend the efforts of the Ministerial-Level Contact Group on the Implementation of the Islamic Action Plan to Protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif. "Its recent visits to several Western capitals are a clear testament to the growing international support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinians," he said. --BERNAMA