Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad launched a vitriolic attack on the European race yesterday, accusing them of warmongering, indiscriminate attacks on Muslims, greed and sexual deviancy.
Europeans, including "those who migrated and set up new nations in America, Australia and New Zealand," wanted "to control the world again," he said.
Predicting that he would be condemned as a "racist," the veteran Southeast Asian leader said he was "not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans."
"They are very clever, brave and have an insatiable curiosity," he said.
But "unfortunately they are also very greedy and like to take forcibly the territories and rights of other people."
In an obvious reference to the recent war on Iraq he said "they have demonstrated that they are ready to invent false allegations in order to go to war to kill children, old people, sick people," considering them "mere collaterals" who cannot stand in the way of their objectives.
Europeans had "begun to invade and rule certain countries, ostensibly for their security but in fact to exploit the wealth in these countries," he said.
Mahathir, 77, was speaking at the annual congress of his ruling United Malays National Organization for the last time before retiring in October after 22 years in power.
The leader of a moderate Muslim government, Mahathir said the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US was "an excuse for the Anglo-Saxon Europeans to return to their old violent ways."
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