A global Jewish organisation by the name of B’nai B’rith International, has hit out at the Utusan Malaysia newspaper for propagating anti-Semitic hatred. Utusan had claimed in its editorial that the Bersih 2.0 rally was an opportunity for Jews to infiltrate into Malaysia’s national affairs. It further cautioned Muslims and Malaysians not to allow any party especially Jews from interfering in the affairs of this country.
Prior to that the Malay daily had also carried headlines linking Bersih 2.0 with Communism and funded by international Christian organisations and even lately that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was working with Indonesians to bring down the country.
B’nai B’rith International called the allegation “preposterous”, harmful and “offensive” and which only serves to perpetuate an anti-Semitic attitude.” B’nai B’rith is the oldest operating Jewish service organisation with nearly 100,000 members and supporters in 50 countries.
The Utusan, as a mouthpiece of UMNO and in the forefront of the national news agenda should project a sense of professionalism and responsibility in its editorial reports. Its readership not only includes the rural Malays, but urban Malays too rely on the paper for accurate news reports as well. Such irresponsible reporting will only cause an international backlash. A Jewish Organization has picked it up and has shown its immense displeasure.
A warning well deserved and long overdue
Some people think that Utusan has just been given a veiled warning.
Indeed, it would be prudent not to underestimate the Jews and their power and influence globally. Nor antagonise them as they have the clout to cripple Malaysia. Their influence in the US Congress is very powerful and they have many elected representatives. In terms of global resources and global financial affairs, the Jews are unchallengeably in control of a huge chunk of the world's resources.
Prime Minister Najib Razak and UMNO should not meddle with them especially when the row is due to Utusan's own making and no one else's by simply shooting at all and sundry, without thinking or weighing the issue with any fairness at all.
Utusan and UMNO should not be inciting the Jewish bogeyman theme if it cannot contain the ramifications. The world is already frowning on Malaysia due to the unfortunate shenanigans from Najib and Co. Malaysians and Malays should not allow the UMNO elite to destroy the country. The word is now spreading globally that Utusan is sowing hatred and racism towards the minority races in Malaysia.
Should we blame the world and Jews for telling 'lies' then? How can we do so when our minority races are telling us the same things over and over again? Do not the local news portals resound with similar outrage against the Utusan almost daily? Does not Utusan deserve the shelling 100%?
So let us be mature people and admit our own faults, especially the UMNO elite. As we criticise the Ibrahim Ali Leadership Award, I wonder if any Malay would be proud to be likened to any of the UMNO elite? The UMNO elite like to condemn everyone else in the world as inferior, but ironically, this is due to their own inferiority complex. What are the faults of the UMNO elite, let's just look at two of the top characteristics - are they not corruption and hypocrisy?
The party of Hatred
Like the Jews, the Christians are also powerful. Europe, America and Russia too are all interconnected. Embarrassing them will only lead to bad public relations that will affect much needed investment. And it is also a terrible attitude to think we should cosy up to them - the Jews, the Christians and the Chinese - just so that we will can enjoy their goodwill in business ties. Do you seriously think they are so stupid?
If Malays think like this, then it is time to take the UMNO leadership to task for giving the race such a poor upbringing. Surely, Malays must have better sense than this. We, being human beings of the Islam faith, should be nice to the Jews and the Christians because they are also human beings. What happens in Palestine is another matter that must be tackled with different medicines. This is the moderation and maturity of any man of common sense. Not the talk-a-lot but no-action moderation espoused by our good PM Najib Razak.
Already Malaysia is reeling from international condemnation by the foreign news media and Jew conspiracy theories - again from that UMNO party - will only antagonize them further. Faham tak? In a nutshell, stop blaming people when it is your own fault. Stop using race and religion as the ingredients in your 'spin' and plots and conspiracies to further UMNO's political agenda. It takes a huge toll on our country and the UMNO elite must simply be more responsible.
It is a known fact that the Jews and the Chinese control the economy of the world. Medical equipment like CT scans and heart pacers are Jewish manufactured and so is Intel Corp - a giant manufacturer of the chip that powers our computers. George Soros, blamed by former premier Mahathir Mohamad for the Ringgit’s devaluation, is also Jewish.
Utusan is creating an uncomfortable atmosphere on anything Jewish, Christian and Chinese. Even among Muslims, it doesn't spare its hatred and goes after PAS Malays and PAS Muslims. At the end of the day, this is simply called Hatred. Utusan is the mouthpiece of a party, UMNO, that is now widely perceived to be a vessel for containing and spilling Hatred. This is is how it appears to the world and to our own citizens and sad to say, they are not wrong.
Voice of the Malays or disgrace of the Malays
Utusan is a Malay national newspaper that reports the news in Malay. Those in UMNO who control the paper must get it through their heads that this will not stop international journalists from picking up its slanted news reports, and making mincemeat of the nation. Using the Jews as the bogeyman is simply not very bright. It is tantamount to UMNO destroying Malaysia with its stupidity, venom and inferiority complex.
Utusan’s sensationalism has often made the government look foolish, while causing racial disharmony in the country. It is becoming a monster too big to be reined in by the government because driving the train are the powerful UMNO leaders in charge at the board. And these guys have always placed self before nation.
Unintentionally causing a cold war between nations with silly conspiracy theories, involving the Americans, the Jews,Turkey, Singapore and lately Indonesia, Utusan should seriously reconsider their propaganda strategies because it makes Utusan look extreme and stupid. By extension, do we want Malays to look stupid in the eyes of the world since Utusan is always insisting it is the voice of the Malays?
If not, then it is time for UMNO to act smart. Get rid of the troublemakers in the party and this means the elite. But probably, this is beyond the grassroots and middle members. In all previous party elections, less than 0.1 per cent of the total party membership can vote, no wonder the elite keep getting richer and the grassroots poorer.
Another thing, Utusan as Malay paper should always champion Islam, but attacking other religions and races is hardly Islamic. Take a leaf from Pakatan Rakyat, at least it has taken the trouble to separate people from issues, rather than plunge headlong into cooking up incredible conspiracies, one after another.
"Pakatan Rakyat is not against Jews. We have never preached any form of bigotry against Jews. From day one, we opposed APCO because of its Zionists links as related to the Palestinian state and nothing to do with Jews and Jewishness," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
Malaysia Chronicle appends below the full text of the B’nai B’rith International statement
B’nai B’rith Decries Malaysian Government-Backed Newspaper’s Claim Of Possible Jewish Interference In Domestic Affairs
B’nai B’rith International condemns the editorial that ran in the July 18 edition of the Utusan Malaysia daily, a government-backed publication, warning against a possible attempt by “foreign Jews” to use a domestic reform movement to interfere in government affairs.
This attempt cites the July 9 march in Kuala Lumpur of some 20,000 people advocating for election reforms as an opportunity for Jewish groups to undermine government initiatives in Malaysia.
The editorial states that Malaysians: “cannot allow anyone, especially the Jews, to interfere secretly in this country’s business,” and that: “Muslims and Malaysians should not allow any party, especially the Jews, to discreetly interfere in the country’s administration.”
Though no specific plot was mentioned in the editorial, the accusation of a possible Jewish interference in Malaysia’s internal affairs is an outlandish claim that promotes anti-Semitic attitudes. As many Malaysians rely on government-backed media outlets for news and information, this destructive claim is likely the only information some citizens receive on this issue.
“This claim is preposterous and offensive, made especially harmful by the legitimacy imparted by its dissemination in a government-backed newspaper,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said. “Turning an internal call for reform into a forum for religious prejudice is unacceptable, and serves only to induce anti-Semitic sentiments.”
Malaysia, an Islamic country, maintains no diplomatic ties with Israel. The Malaysian government strongly supports the Palestinian Authority and has been strongly critical of Israel’s actions in the region.
“The reference to ‘foreign Jews’ within the editorial is anti-Semitic and a clear attempt to demonize and delegitimize Israel—and is a completely foundationless attempt to vilify Jews totally unaffiliated with an internal reform movement,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “It is unacceptable that such hateful accusations are propagated through government-backed media.”
