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| Southeast Asia |
| Lee Kuan Yew: Muslim Anger on the Rise |
| 2006-09-29 |
| Why has the Middle East been on Singapore's radar screen for the last few years? Because 220 million Muslims live in Indonesia, to our south, and another 20 million in Malaysia and southern Thailand, to our north. In 1991 these Muslim populations were not riled over Desert Storm in Iraq. But in 2003 they became agitated over what they saw as a bloodbath in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The unending crisis between the Israelis and Palestinians and the perceived double standards of the U.S. have also stoked Muslim anger. Muslims recently vented their anger over Lebanon by demonstrating against Israel's bombing of Lebanon and the U.S.' delaying of the UN Security Council's resolution calling for a halt to hostilities. When U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 to meet with ASEAN leaders, the youth wing of the ruling party, UMNO, led by Oxford-educated Deputy Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, demonstrated vigorously in protest. These demonstrations, carried on TV and in the press, gained kudos for UMNO Youth from many Muslims, especially the young. Until the 1980s Malays in Malaysia identified themselves first as Malays, second as Muslims and third as Malaysians. Recent polls have disclosed a fundamental shift: 73% identify themselves first as Muslims, 14% as Malaysians and 13% as Malays. Malay-sian Muslim attitudes have turned hostile toward the U.S. and its allies because of the bloodshed in Iraq between coalition forces and the insurgents. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 Well I guess the secret got out. Just as 19 known muslim terrorists happened to fly 2 planes into the WTC towers, Bush and Cheney bombed them from within. What a phalkin coincidence. The world is full of mindless retards. Most are either democrats or muslims. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-09-29 20:18 |
| #1 Muslime anger? Geeze who woulda thunk it. Must be a shortage of camels. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2006-09-29 18:19 |