MalayMail-Dec 11
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today hailed the Russia-Islamic World Conference as a step towards deeper ties and understanding in a “multipolar” world, amid growing Islamophobia in the West and geopolitical tension that is forcing smaller nations to pick sides. Anwar said Muslim nations should bolster collaboration with Russia, adding that such cooperation should be viewed as a celebration of dialogue and understanding. “We still have problems which is why this sort of engagement is important. We thought with development, progress and knowledge we will have more wisdom, more tolerance of course in the Muslim world between Muslim leaders. But this is not the case,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Strategic Vision Group: Russia-Islamic world meeting held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel here. “This is a period of great tragedy not only for mankind in general but also for the Muslims…the rise of fascism, racism, and intolerance. Our duty is of course to promote understanding, tolerance, peace and humanity because that is what Islam stands for,” he added. “It’s important that we use this sort of conference to reflect.” Russia has long enjoyed close diplomatic relations with many of the world’s Islamic nations even as the West seeks to isolate it. Malaysia, under Anwar’s leadership, has said it would remain neutral about Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. As of October, Malaysia is an official Brics partner, along with Indonesia and Thailand. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/12/11/pm-anwar-urges-muslim-nations-to-collaborate-with-russia-amid-growing-western-islamophobia/159511
