Open Letter to Tun Dr Mahathir

Dear Tun Dr Mahathir, with all due respect, the ban on Israeli’s athletes participating in international sporting events in Malaysia should be reconsidered.

Whilst the ban against citizens of Israel is consistent with Malaysia’s diplomatic stand against the occupation of Palestinian lands and the military injustice in that region, perhaps we ought to look at different ways of trying to influence that crisis.

Haven’t we tried these bans earlier on? We can’t continue doing things that don’t work and I don’t need to patronise you with that Einstein quote about doing the same thing over and over again.

It is time we show them good examples. It is time we invite them here to our country. And show them that we don’t kill each other. We argue about a lot of things but our arguments are like family feuds. In the end, we call ourselves Malaysians.

Prophetic approach of kindness

You were at the forefront of the OIC back in your previous term as the PM of Malaysia and you portrayed Malaysia to be an Islamic country. So why not we try the other Islamic approach, the Prophetic approach of kindness and friendliness?

The Prophet used to reply cruelness with kindness. Israel had never been cruel to us directly but we can be the bigger nation and show them kindness.

And since Israel is a Jewish state, perhaps we can learn something from the Medina Charter. Even though we live in different eras, I’m sure the message of peace and togetherness are always going to be evergreen.

I am aware of the various and countless peacemaking efforts done by many countries and leaders prior to this and yet the conflict of the Middle East are forever the same if not worst.

Show the wisdom of an elderly leader

Perhaps it is time for you, the oldest leader of a country in the world, to start telling the Muslim world that we should look from within.

Just like how you have been sharing your wisdom as an elderly leader who has led the nation in four separate decades, such as your advice to the Malays, to improve ourselves, to look at our own flaws, likewise, Malaysia must be able to say the same thing to our Muslim brethren across the world.

It is time for Muslims to stop blaming the Jews for everything that we have failed at. Didn’t our failure start when the Arab world surrounded Israel with their weapons in the 6-Day War? And didn’t the Arabs lose that war?

What would we have done if we were Israel? Would we be sitting quietly and wait for the next Arabian attack? Wouldn’t we be strengthening ourselves?

It was certainly wrong of the Israelies on what they had inflicted against the Palestinians, and I won’t attempt to justify it. But the Arab world must take the blame for that war 52 years ago.

Arabs doing nothing about Israel now

And perhaps we need to admit that whatever the reason for that war, whoever started it, losing it was stupid, ridiculous and so pathetic that Arabs should be looking into a mirror and admit they had failed despite their superior numbers.

And let’s think about it, what are the Arabs doing about Israel now? Nothing. Why? Maybe they have looked into the mirror after all.

Perhaps we should look into the mirror and say to ourselves, let’s fix our problems first. We have far more important priorities than to worry about a country that uses children at the forefront of their war. And maybe for the sake of those children, we must also start condemning the acts of using children in wars.

And as for Israel, since we don’t have the military might to fight their atrocities, since we don’t have the economic might to fight them, perhaps, just perhaps we should revisit diplomacy?

– Mujahidin Zulkiffli