KAULA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said that Muslim nations have capabilities, strengths and similar to other developed nations and could compete against them but do not have the will to do it.
The Prime Minister made the statement while speaking at the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim) 58th national Annual General Meeting on Saturday, November 30, reported Malay Mail.
Lack willpower
Dr. Mahathir in his speech also expressed disappointment that there are 52 Muslim countries in the world and none could be categorized as a developed nation.
“With a total of 52 Muslim nations in the world, none of them can be considered to be a developed nation, is this because of prohibition from our religion so that we do not progress Does this mean that people professing Islam do not progress, are not allowed to develop.”
“I wish to clarify that we are capable of competing with them. We are equal to the foreigners…in terms of the ability to think but we do not utilise this blessing from Allah SWT in the proper manner…in a manner that enables us to protect the Islamic religion,” he said.
Perceived as weak
He said that Islamic nations have not achieved progress and development since Muslims being perceived as weak and continued to be suppressed, controlled and abused by other countries.
Citing South Korea as an example, the Malaysian Prime Minister said:
“When I compare our country with Korea and other Islamic nations, I feel very disappointed because we are not incapable. But because of our mistake in making certain interpretations, we cannot achieve the development made by Korea and other countries.“
“I believe that the mistake does not lie with our religion…the religion does not prevent us from seeking wealth as long as we find it in a legalized manner, and we use our wealth to assist those who are weak,” he said.
True teaching of Al-Quran
If Muslim nations return to the true teachings based on the Holy Quran, then all the conflicts currently faced by them can be resolved.
“…by acknowledging that we are not capable of governing our country well, this is our own fault that we do not adhere to the teachings of Islam as stated in the Quran. I hope all of us will take note of this,” he said.