Award to Mahathir
Mohammad A. Siddiqi, Ph. D.
Professor, Journalism and Public Relations, Western Illinois University
Secretary General, NAAMPS

This is in reference to the article,  published in Pakistan Link, September 7, by Dr. Aslam Abdullah on the award given to the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.   I fully agree with Dr. Aslam Abdullah that it is hypocritical to honor a dictator and despot.  What is more shameful is that the award has been given by a California-based Muslim organization and the people involved claim to be representatives of Muslims and belong to several well-known Muslim organizations.  It is deplorable that Qur’anic verses were recited to justify the honoring of Mahathir.  I have known Mahathir  since 1978 when he was education minister and had put Anwar Ibrahim in jail for two years just for staging a demonstration against Mahathir’s anti-Islamic education policies.

On behalf of the North American Association of Muslim Professionals and Scholars (NAAMPS) I condemn the wrongful imprisonment of Anwar Ibrahim as well as the award given to Mahathir during the first week of this month in Chicago.  I would like to inform your readers that about 50 Muslims, including many Malaysians, demonstrated in front of the hotel where the award ceremony was held. Mahathir could not escape the sight of banners and posters that were raised by the protesters despite all efforts by the organizers.

As Muslims in North America we must make it clear that we do not support Kings, Prime Ministers, and Presidents who deny people their basic rights: right to free speech and right to defend themselves, and at the same time we must condemn those, from among us, who dare to defy common sense and civility by inviting and awarding such rulers.