Tuesday, September 6, 2011

LKY: Islam a “venomous religion”

Well, what has the world been facing since 9/11? Need I Say More? LKY, as always, makes lots of sense.

Wikileaks revealed that Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew described Islam as a "venomous religion" in a July 5, 2005 meeting with then Senator Hillary Clinton. Clinton's meeting was with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, then Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and then Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister and elder statesman, denied that he made the statement, because "nowhere does it record me describing Islam as 'venomous', nor did I say anything which could have given that impression." However, the leaked cable was signed off by then US ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin.

Clinton was accompanied by staff member Huma Abedin. Abedin who was later to marry Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is a practicing Muslim. Surely she had to be offended by Lee Kuan Yew's slighting of her religion.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong then continued with Lee Kuan Yew's criticism of Islam, stating according to Wikileaks: In Malaysia, the change in prime minister was for the better. SM Goh commented that former PM Mahathir enjoyed fighting with everyone. The long-term problem was what type of Islam would dominate in Malaysia. He expressed concern that a more radical version of Islam was gaining ground and forcing moderates to take more extreme positions.

Singapore has a predominantly Chinese population with minority races including Malays, who are mostly Muslim, making up 13.4 percent of its population of five million. The remarks of Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong were extremely insensitive, but revealing. In Singapore, the cards are clearly stacked against Malays—and all non-Chinese.

Read More@; http://johnharding.com/2011/09/05/singapores-lee-kuan-yew-calls-islam-a-venomous-religion/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lee Kuan Yew (or ''El Kay Why'' or the Old Man'' as he is fondly called by his subjects - but never in his face!) says it like it is. He talks straight, and presents hard truths in your face. It is not for no reason that Time magazine in Dec 12, 2005 cover defined him as ''THE MAN WHO SAW IT ALL''. Dun believe me? Google the image of ''Lee Kuan Yew Time Magazine cover''.