Free speech, Dr M? Don’t make me laugh, especially you Charlie and the evil infidels
Free speech for me. Ben Packham, The Australian, November 19:
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad … (said) “I have a right to speak. To say that I can talk about anything else except criticise the Jews is something quite unfair. We are talking about free speech.”
Free speech? Tajuddin Rasdi, Free Malaysia Today, November 12:
(Mahathir warned) the public against causing trouble in “matters concerning race and religion” through the “abuse” of the freedom of expression “given by the government”.
Free speech? Samantha Chow, The Star, October 17:
Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar (says) … “when (Mahathir) took over, (he) could have announced the abolishment of the Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act … (He didn’t and) there’s no guarantee that the government will not use it again.”
Bhavan Jaipragas, South China Morning Post, July 14:
No Gay Rights and No Free Speech … (as Mahathir’s government buckles to Islamic fundamentalists).
Azril Annuar, Malay Mail, December 31 last year:
Several Barisan Nasional leaders have branded … (Mahathir) a “hypocrite” for promising freedom of speech … (Malaysian Chinese Association publicity spokesman Ti Lian Ker said Mahathir) used the Internal Security Act against dissenters … MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong (said Mahathir was a fool) … “He was the one who shut down The Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Watan … (This is) hypocrisy of the highest order.”
Qui est Charlie? Rowan Callick, The Australian, January 12, 2015:
Mahathir … (said) “I do not condone these killings” … (but the victims at Charlie Hebdo) “committed despicable acts such as insulting prophet Mohammed”.
Free-ish? Malay Mail, April 29, 2014:
Dr Mahathir said … “free speech, free press, demonstrations and strikes must be circumscribed to some degree so that they will not destroy democracies in the name of democracy.”
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, Malay Mail, January 24, 2014:
Dr M: Non-Muslims have no right to ‘Allah’ … only followers of Islam have the right to use Arabic word for God.
Herald Sun, November 19:
Thousands of mourners are expected to pack St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday to farewell Melbourne cafe pioneer Sisto Malaspina …
What about moi? Randa Abdel-Fattah, The Age, November 15:
I am feeling nothing less than rage, alienation and despair … I, an Australian Muslim, refuse to condemn the violence that took place on Bourke Street … The script we are given for talking about the war on terror is censored and redacted. We are expected to talk about the Koran, but not the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. We must interrogate what is said in mosques and prayer rooms, but not what this nation says and does to support state-sponsored terrorism … “National security” … serves only to reinforce a patriarchal, racist, capitalist social order … our foreign policy … (oppresses) entire populations in the name of … “civilisation” and “Australian values”.
What did you learn? Abdel-Fattah, Macquarie University:
Research interests — Islamophobia, Critical race theory, Race and ethnic relations (particularly … racism and Islamophobia) … Youth identities and cultures in the context of the war on terror and the geopolitics of fear.