Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Sunday that the Western world must cease its attempts to control international media narratives regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which he described as “inaccurate.” During the inauguration of the All-Malaysian Mosque Summit for Al-Aqsa and Palestine in Kuala Lumpur, he emphasized that Western nations do not need to instruct the Muslim world on the principles of “democracy, human rights, and sustainable development,” as reported by the state-run Bernama news agency.
The summit, organized by the Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations of Malaysia, was attended by approximately 700 representatives from mosques, NGOs, foreign ambassadors, scholars, and observers from various countries. Anwar urged Western countries to acknowledge that the unrest in Palestine began in 1948 and has persisted since then, rather than attributing it solely to the Hamas attack on October 7.
“We need to be clear and not allow Western countries to dictate the narrative starting from October 7,” Anwar remarked. He pointed out that the destruction in Palestine has been ongoing since 1948, followed by the direct invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969. He asserted that this destruction continues today, affecting both infrastructure and human lives, and described the situation as genocidal.
Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to prohibiting companies registered in Israel from operating within the country, noting that the previous government, despite its strong opposition to Israel’s actions, had permitted direct trade with such companies.
As Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip persist, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that the death toll since October 7 has reached 40,405. The offensive has continued despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The ongoing blockade of Gaza has resulted in severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region devastated. Israel is facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge prior to the area being invaded on May 6.