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Malaysia Battles Anti-U.S. Protest, Mahathir Says Stop Bombing Afghans
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malaysia's government called on the U.S. to stop bombing Afghanistan as police confronted peaceful demonstrators at the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur Friday.
A large crowd of 3,000 Party Islam Se Malaysia (PAS) supporters rallied in protest against the U.S.-led bombing campaign agaianst Afghanistan, brandishing Osama bin Laden T-shirts and pictures, and calling the U.S. the "mother of all terrorists".
Local riot police units, armed with batons and tear gas, did not allow the crowd to approach the U.S. embassy, bombarding them with gas canisters in an attempt to disperse protesters.
Friday was the first time a relatively peaceful Malaysia was shattered by protests.
The PAS, which has declared a jihad (struggle) against the United States, claimed that several Malaysians had left for Kabul to fight alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
Police, however, refuted this. They said they had not detected any PAS movements sending its members for the purpose.
In the wake of mounting U.S. strikes on suspected bin Laden and Taliban militia bases in Afghanistan, the opposition party has requested weapons and logistics from the Federal Government to help its volunteers fight alongside other Muslims against the U.S.-led force.
The Malaysian government said it does not recognize the jihad declared by the PAS.
The opposition in Malaysia also called on non-Muslims to join Muslims in condemning the bombings in Afghanistan, accusing the United States of being a terrorist country.
On Wednesday night, speaking to more than 4,000 people at an anti-U.S. rally at PAS headquarters in Gombak, president Fadzil Noor said: "The Taliban is not the question here.
"An Islamic nation is being attacked by an enemy of Islam and it is the duty of every Islamic nation to join forces to defend that country."
He urged the government to make a similar declaration if it considered Malaysia an Islamic country.
"I hope the government could help our volunteers as we are going there to represent Malaysia as the first Islamic country to take on the
jihad cause against the United States," he said, stressing that the party's decision must not be seen as a move to support the Taliban regime.
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