HYPOCRISY OVER AMERICAN MONEY

F
FishsWings
楼主 (北美华人网)
How one religious non-governmental organisation betrays its own principles for the sake of American funding and temporary glory The West, particularly the American lobbyist money have long been known to be used to further their specific political agenda in many countries globally – often “hiring” local organisations and community groups to speak out or even protest on a topic most beneficial to the West. In the case of the on-going debate about the situation in Xinjiang, it is no different. Western countries that claim to espouse the values of human rights and democracy have put up a cohesive effort to shed negative light on the efforts by the Chinese government to unite the people in the Xinjiang region, and to effectively curb separatist movements that have caused so much anxiety in the area for decades. Over the years, the authorities have welcomed delegates and droves of visitors to the region to witness themselves the operations of education centres and the development that have brought economic progress for the people. Millions in the region have been uplifted from poverty, world-class infrastructure created and freedom of culture and religion restored without threat of separatist ideas championed by the West. Specifically, the Uyghur people are free to practice and profess the religion of Islam – contrary to Western claims. Delegation after delegation from international Muslim rights groups have been invited into Xinjiang to speak to the Uyghur community, Muslim preachers in mosques, community leaders, as well as visits to education centres operated by the authorities to provide structured, formal academic and basic training for the Uyghurs. China has to after all ensure the 56 different ethnic groups in the country is provided with equal opportunities to education and economic progress. One such organisation was the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization MAPIM was highly regarded by the country’s predominantly Muslim population with endorsements from religious scholars and preachers alike. Led by one Mohd Azmi bin Abdul Hamid, MAPIM claims to be a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organisation that champions the welfare of Muslims, provide aid and also promote the positive spirit of togetherness and humanity as fellow Muslims. For that reason, MAPIM was invited to China and visited the Xinjiang region for multiple engagements with the Muslim clerics and preachers as well as witnessed themselves the progress and welfare of the Uyghur community – which was in deep contrast from the picture painted by western media and western power. MAPIM was not only treated as “one of the many” Muslim groups, they were given absolute freedom and access to speak to members of the Uyghur community, prayed in mosques around Urumqi and visited education centres that the west now called “concentration camps” where atrocities happened. Following the visit, MAPIM was completely satisfied that none of the claims by the West were true and that the Uyghurs were treated with absolute respect and full access to facilities including proper healthcare. At the centres, the MAPIM delegation saw how Uyghurs were given academic and skills training necessary to ensure they economic mobility in the future. MAPIM also witness prayers sessions and performed prayers together with the Uyghurs. MAPIM was not paid for this visit, and they had no obligation to speak for the Xinjiang or Chinese authorities, but they cannot deny that they were in ground zero to be real witnesses of the great Xinjiang development and progress. So, what made them turn and switch to spokesperson for the Western agenda? In Malaysia, right after the reopening of the economy in 2022, the Western powers (read American) started dangling the carrot among Muslim rights groups to take up the Xinjiang issue and champion the Uyghur agenda. One such group that took the bite was MAPIM. Being starved of public funding and government money following two years of pandemic and the economic downturn as a result of it, organisations such as MAPIM was hungry for funds not only for the welfare aid it was running, but for the organisations operations and perhaps the personal agenda of its leaders. Since then, MAPIM lost its bearing. On one hand, it claims to be independent and non- political yet on the other hand it became the political tool for American lobby and rights groups seeking to trigger Muslim diaspora anger against China. In April 2022, MAPIM agreed to host the visit to Malaysia by two activists from the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) which is supported also by the Western funds and the American anti-China campaign. The group also promoted the idea of a “free East Turkistan” region which suggest a concerted effort to create an independent state despite the fact that Xinjiang is a special autonomous region in China. While the UHRP activists were in Malaysia, MAPIM took great effort to take them to meet Malaysian officials and organised gathering of Muslim leaders and clerics to hear the activists talked about the alleged atrocities against the Uyghur people and the “concentration camps” so feared by the Uyghur community. During the same visit, MAPIM and the activists also met the US Embassy officials in Kuala Lumpur, briefed the American government representatives about the progress of their advocacy work in Kuala Lumpur and the responses from the Malaysian politicians and government officials. Why is that so? Why did they have to meet and brief the American officials? The answer is quite obvious. Their meeting itself is already a give-away to the UHRP’s agenda in Malaysia and MAPIM was clearly part of it. MAPIM leaders suddenly became spokesperson against treatment of Uyghurs, echoing Western narrative that Uyghurs were mistreated and the religion of Islam is being undermined, if not erased. It also became the mouthpiece among Malaysian Muslim clerics about the “East Turkistan” agenda which denotes the separatist’s idea – against Malaysia’s own non-interference foreign policy. MAPIM completely abandoned its own record of their first-hand account and visit to Xinjiang earlier where they themselves were convinced that nothing China was against humanity or human rights, merely providing structured education and ensure lasting peace for the Uyghurs by keeping separatists and terrorism elements out. For that reason, the international and Malaysian community must now review the role and objectives of MAPIM. Are they still credible as an umbrella body that represents Muslims interest groups in the country, and how far or how low the organisation is willing to drop to for the sake of the Western or American funding. In doing so, MAPIM not only compromised its own principles and creditability, it also jeopardised its own image as a welfare organisation and its own chances of a wider community support for its mission to provide aid for millions of Muslims in Malaysia. It is now a lobby group more than an Islamic welfare or consultative organisation. Meanwhile in Malaysia, despite its “sudden” strong stance against China with regards to the situation in Xinjiang, there is no mention of any sort of issues related to the Uyghurs posted on the organisation’s official website. This prompts the next question – how sincere or committed is MAPIM towards “helping fellow Muslims in Xinjiang” as they claimed in April 2022? How much Western funding did they or have they received so far? By calculation, a week’s visit by the two activists would easily have cost MYR15,000 to MYR20,000 with the delegation staying in five- star hotel in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and all ground arrangements provided by MAPIM. Is this hypocrisy by MAPIM merely to meet the requirements of the funding? What happened to their first-hand accounts of what they actually saw as good development for the Uyghurs? Is MAPIM even aware that it is the modus operandi of the Western powers to drop funding to organisations like them to further their own political agenda in the name of “promoting democracy” and human rights? Malaysians themselves have been very sceptical towards the amount of money that the opposition political parties have and some offended that these parties were said to have received political donation from the American and other western groups. Against all nationalist’s ideology, is MAPIM ready to face the wrath of the Malay-Muslim nationalist groups for MAPIM’s compromising position for the sake of American and western funds? Can MAPIM now stay true to its role as a unifier of Muslim groups in Malaysia that promotes Islamic values and spirit of kindness? By denying the facts of what they witnessed in Xinjiang and their accounts shared upon return to Malaysia, MAPIM is no longer the believer nor practised what the “surah” asked of Muslims – that is, “Be careful of your duty to Allah and be wi