Twitter Deletes Mahathir’s Post on “Muslims’ Right to Kill The French” Under Glorifying Violence

By Karissa Lund  •  30 Oct 2020 in News

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According to NST, Twitter has removed one of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tweets which it initially marked as “glorifying violence”. The tweet now has been replaced with the message, “This tweet violated the Twitter Rules”.

Yesterday, Mahathir tweeted that Muslims have a right “to kill millions of French people” shortly after a deadly attack in Nice, sparking international anger and prompting Twitter to delete his post.

In case you missed it, on 29 October – three people were killed at a church in the southern French city with the attacker slitting the throat of at least one, in what authorities were treating as the latest jihadist assault to rock the country.

Mahathir launched an extraordinary outburst in a series of tweets. Out of the sixteen tweets, only one was removed as he wrote, “Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past”. Twitter initially declined to remove the comments, but finally did so following a furious reaction from the French government.

Read the whole thread, here:

RESPECT OTHERS

1. A teacher in France had his throat slit by an 18-year-old Chechen boy. The killer was angered by the teacher showing a caricature of Prophet Muhammad. The teacher intended to demonstrate freedom of expression.

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020

Although Mahathir never made a direct reference to the recent attack in Nice, he instead referred to the beheading of a French teacher who had shown a student’s cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Basically, Mahathir said he did not approve of his murder but that freedom of expression does not include “insulting other people”.

“It is not in keeping with the teachings of Islam. But irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill. The French in the course of their history have killed millions of people. Many were Muslims, ” wrote Mahathir, where he also claimed that the West is trying to impose its values on others by force.

For now, France’s Junior Digital Affairs Minister, Cédric O, said he had spoken to the country head of Twitter to immediately suspend Dr Mahathir’s official account.

“If not, Twitter would be an accomplice to murder”, he tweeted.

Meanwhile, let’s see how some Malaysians reacted:

No religion advocates hate and killing.

And you immediately contradict yourself with the next point.

You have undone your newer, rehabilitated legacy again by reverting back.

Maybe, it IS time you rest.

Your opinion is yours, but I doubt it’s welcome in 2020. https://t.co/nAMGriocMH

— ᴊᴏᴇ ʟᴇᴇ 🇲🇾 (@iamjoelee) October 29, 2020

I read the thread by Tun M and I disagree strongly that anyone has the ‘right to kill’.

Right to be angry, yes. Everyone has the right to be angry.

But even in anger, NO ONE has the right to kill.

— Syahredzan シア (@syahredzan) October 29, 2020

Mahathir’s latest stunt still won’t win him supporters from the conservative Malay crowd.

People are tired of his “Melayu malas” shtick, his crony capitalism, his constant political games, his hatred for the poor.

— Tharma Pillai (@TharmaPillai) October 29, 2020

He mentions bikinis, or g strings in his defence of Asian values while condoning violence, his racist views come through so clearly.

This thread to me is a quiet funeral for the Asian values vs human rights debate.

RIP, it sounded good last century to some, but no.

— Michelle Yesudas (@MichelleYesudas) October 29, 2020

MAHA-TERRORIST ENABLER.#mahathir‘s sickening views does not represent mine, a malaysian pic.twitter.com/OIshPbB4fy

— also sprach fumi (@laylamajusi) October 29, 2020

Mahathir’s belief that Muslims ‘have a right’ to kill millions of French people, ‘but don’t’; it’s important.

The “I *tolerate* but don’t accept you and deep down I don’t believe we are equal, I’m just peaceful for now” idea isn’t something you should write away as ‘dementia’.

— Lim Jack Kin (@JackKinLim) October 30, 2020