Media Statement
17 August 2001

Don't be fooled!

I am shocked that Bernama, the national news agency and a number of Malaysian newspapers had carried a scurrilous article on my husband, Anwar Ibrahim, by Amy Ridenour, President of the National Centre for Public Policy Research based in Washington D.C. which appeared in the Washington Times on 15 August 2001.

The article is a vile, vicious attempt to tarnish Anwar's reputation and to ensure that international support for his cause diminishes, by mixing outright lies and half-truths with certain facts.

Anwar has no links whatsoever with so-called 'radical Islamic fundamentalists'. The Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) the Islamic Youth Movement of which he was president from 1974 to 1982 is a registered body that has operated within the confines of Malaysian law and the Malaysian Constitution for the last 30 years. ABIM is known as an organisation which adopts a moderate approach to national and international issues. It is democratic in orientation and is concerned with the welfare and well-being of Muslim communities at home and abroad.

When Anwar was President of ABIM, he championed the cause of the poor and the downtrodden, in line with Islamic teachings on social justice. Though he used constitutional and democratic channels to articulate the people's grievances, Anwar was imprisoned under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1974 -- an oppressive law that allows for detention without trial which Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad continues to use to this day to jail democratic dissidents.

It is true that as ABIM leader, Anwar met with Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979. Muslim, and a huge number of non-Muslim, groups too, all over the world had supported the Iranian revolution because it was a largely non-violent struggle against one of the most oppressive and ruthless dictatorial regimes in modern history. A number of American, French, German and Indian intellectuals, deeply committed to democratic values had also visited Khomeini immediately after the Iranian revolution. However, it should be noted that when the revolution lost its bearings, Anwar was one of those Muslim activists who openly criticised its excesses.

Today, Anwar, a victim of political persecution, who is serving a 15 year jail term on trumped up charges of sexual misdemeanour, supports the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front) which is a coalition of opposition political parties committed to the creation of a just Malaysia through the democratic process. The Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) a leading member of this coalition, has impeccable democratic credentials. It has participated in every parliamentary election in the country since 1955 and has abided by the verdict of the ballot box, even when basic electoral rules have been flouted by the ruling party. Similarly, if student groups that are critical of the Mahathir government have "taken control of student unions at most universities" it is because there is growing opposition to the injustices perpetrated by the ruling elite. In this connection, it should be emphasised that an official report by the Fire Department revealed that it was not arson but faulty wiring that "destroyed a building at University of Malaya".

It is also untrue that "lobbyists controlled" by my husband "had orchestrated" my recent trip to the US. I was in the States at the end of June this year at the invitation of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) a respectable Muslim umbrella organisation, patronised from time to time by American political leaders.

Finally, is it a mere coincidence that Amy Ridenour's article should appear in Washington and in Kuala Lumpur at a time when Dr. Mahathir is going all out to link the legitimate, constitutional Opposition in Malaysia to Islamic militancy, violence and radicalism? In the last few months, he has used the ISA to detain political leaders and activists from both PAS and the Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party) and then alleged that they were involved in militant activities aimed at overthrowing the government -- allegations which the detainees will not be able to expose in a court of law.

Mahathir is doing this to convince his foreign critics, including some Western governments and NGOs who are unhappy about his unjust treatment of Anwar and his abuse of power that he has had to resort to authoritarian measures in order to fight Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic radicalism.

It is, in a sense, utterly ludicrous that Anwar should now be accused of having "close links with radical Islamic fundamentalists" when it was just yesterday that he was supposed to be an agent of the United States, according to Malaysian government leaders.

The Malaysian people know that a diabolical game is being played. One hopes that foreign governments and foreign commentators -- especially those on Capitol Hill -- will not be fooled.

Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
President
Parti Keadilan Nasional (keADILan)

http://www.bernama.com/general/ge1608_23.htm

U.S. Warned Against Backing Anwar Supporters

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- The United States, which has had two unpleasant experiences with radical Islamic fundamentalist rule in Iran and Afghanistan, has been warned it could be fooled the third time if it supports effort by former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to destabilise the Malaysian government.

Amy Ridenour, president of the National Centre for Public Policy Research, a non-partisan American think tank, said Anwar has close links to radical Islamic fundamentalists and has begun an international public relations effort to destabilise the Malaysian government.

In a commentary piece published by the Washington Times newspaper Wednesday, Ridenour said Anwar's wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail visited the U.S. recently to draw support for her husband, who is now serving a 15-year jail sentence for corruption and s###my.

" The effort pits Anwar against his former mentor Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. The rivalry has caused political upheaval. Betting that Americans would be sympathetic to a woman whose husband is in prison, lobbyists controlled by her husband orchestrated the trip," she said.

Giving Anwar's background, she said his political history began as a student activist at the University of Malaya in the 1960's where he began to make fiery speeches about Islam.

Ridenour said Anwar then founded the Angkatan Belia Islam (ABIM), the fundamentalist Islamic youth movement, which aimed to generate an Islamic movement as a path to Islamic revival in Malaysia.

She noted that Anwar travelled to Iran to meet with Ayatollah Khomeini who led Iran's Islamic revolution and ABIM -- taking a page each from Karl Marx and the screed of radical Islam -- denounced labour exploitation and "all things repugnant to the spirit of Islamic justice".

Ridenour recalled that Khomeini's rule in 1979 began with a 444-day hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Teheran and the U.S. learned the hard way that there was no way to negotiate, compromise or even talk with a leader as implacably opposed to democracy and tolerance as Khomeini.

Ridenour said Afghanistan reinforced that lesson. After the U.S. poured millions of dollars and vital intelligence to the anti-Soviet Mujahiddin, an Islamic fundamentalist government, the Taliban, took power.

The Taliban is profoundly anti-American, openly sheltering the world's most notorious international terrorist, Osama bin Laden, whose 1998 terrorist bombings of two U.S. embassies killed 224 people.

" The Taliban has fashioned a regime far less tolerant than anything Leonid Breznev ever imagined -- a dictatorship of the clerics that revels in the destruction of irreplaceable ancient cultural Buddhist masterpieces as it publicly flogs a woman accused of walking in public with a man who is not a relative.

" The United States would do well to avoid a third experience," she warned. Ridenour also praised Malaysia for making extraordinary strides in its development as a prosperous, stable and democratic nation.

" Malaysia is enjoying impressive economic growth, with annual 5 percent to 10 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increases over the last decade. In the ranking of Asian economies, its per capita GDP of approximately US$7,370 (RM28,000) is immediately behind South Korea's and ahead of seven others," she said.

Malaysia is also America's 12th largest trading partner and its 17th largest export market with U.S.-Malaysia trade exceeding U.S. trade with India, Indonesia and Russia combined.

She also noted that it is a tragedy of history that dictators often seize power by exploiting popular movements, including Fidel Castro's Cuba, Daniel Ortega's Nicaragua and Khomeini's Iran.

Ridenour concluded her commentary by saying: " The United States was fooled in Iran and Afghanistan. It would be dangerous to be fooled again." -- BERNAMA

http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20010815-80634342.htm

Washington Times
August 15, 2001

Turmoil in Malaysia

By Amy Ridenour

The United States has had two unpleasant experiences with radical Islamic fundamentalist rule: Iran and Afghanistan. In each case we expected the modern norms of global exchange to apply after Islamic fundamentalists seized control. We were mistaken. Instead, we were met by ferocious and fanatical hatred.

Ayatollah Khomeini's rule began with a 444-day hostage crisis. We learned the hard way that there was no way to negotiate, compromise or even talk with a leader as implacably opposed to democracy and tolerance as Khomeini.

Afghanistan reinforced the lesson. After the United States poured millions of dollars and vital intelligence to the anti-Soviet Mujjahiddin, an Islamic fundamentalist government took power. It is profoundly anti-American, openly sheltering the world's most notorious international terrorist, Osama bin Laden, whose 1998 terrorist bombings of two U.S. embassies killed 224 people.

The Taliban has fashioned a regime far less tolerant than anything Leonid Brezhnev ever imagined a dictatorship of the clerics that revels in the destruction of irreplaceable ancient cultural Buddhist masterpieces as it publicly flogs a woman accused of walking in public with a man who is not a relative.

The United States would do well to avoid a third experience.

Consider Malaysia, a parliamentary democracy of 22 million located south of Vietnam, where a former government official with close links to radical Islamic fundamentalists has begun an international public relations effort to destabilize the government.

The effort pits former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim against his former mentor, Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. The rivalry has caused political upheaval. Anwar is presently in jail, the result of a 1999 corruption conviction. Recently, Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, visited the United States. Betting that Americans would be sympathetic to a woman whose husband is in prison, particularly since the charges had political overtones, lobbyists controlled by her husband orchestrated the trip.

Anwar's political history began as a student activist at the University of Malaya in the 1960s. He believed the religious instruction he received at boarding school had been perfunctory, and began to make fiery public speeches about Islam both inside and beyond the university. Upon graduation in 1971 he played a leading role in founding Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, or ABIM, the Malaysian fundamentalist youth movement. By its own description, ABIM aimed to generate an Islamic movement as a path to Islamic revival in Malaysia. Anwar traveled to Iran to meet with Khomeini. He was arrested in 1974 for his role in a student demonstration while his organization taking one page each from Marx and the screed of radical Islam denounced labor exploitation and "all things repugnant to the spirit of Islamic justice."

Anwar's jailing came after he became an open political rival of Mr. Mahathir, leading rallies of up of up to 50,000 people calling for political change. Since then, fundamentalist Islamic student groups have taken control of student unions at most public universities, and anti-government activities have resulted. On July 4, for instance suspected arson destroyed a building at the University of Malaya. The Islamic Party of Malaysia has gained seats in parliament.

In recent years, Malaysia has made extraordinary strides in its development as a prosperous, stable and democratic state. Except for the downturn that affected all of Asia in 1998, Malaysia is enjoying impressive economic growth, with annual 5 percent to 10 percent GDP increases over the last decade. In the ranking of Asian economies, its per capita gross domestic product of approximately $7,370 is immediately behind South Korea's and ahead of seven others. Malaysia is America's 12th- largest trading partner and its 17th-largest export market. U.S. trade with Malaysia exceeds U.S. trade with India, Indonesia and Russia combined.

Malaysia is not perfect. Its levels of economic freedom, regulations on trade and limits on private property rights led the Heritage Foundation to conclude in 2001 that its economy is "mostly unfree." The Malaysian legal system, like America's, is based on English common law, but some abuses have been alleged.

It is a tragedy of history that dictators often seize power by exploiting popular movements. Consider Fidel Castro's Cuba, or Daniel Ortega's Nicaragua, as well as Khomeini's Iran.

The United States was fooled in Iran and Afghanistan. It would be dangerous to be fooled again. As the old saying goes: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." The proverb has no line for those who are fooled a third time.