Palestine rally organisers in Kuala Lumpur slammed for allegedly calling attendees 'Zionists'
The controversy was met negatively on social media, where attendees and observers expressed their dismay and called for accountability.
KUALA LUMPUR — A Palestine solidarity event organised by Viva Palestina Malaysia (VPM) and MYCare in Kuala Lumpur on 21 October has stirred controversy, after attendees and social media users accused the organisers of restricting freedom of expression and labelling participants as "Zionists."
Around 10,000 people had gathered at Dataran Merdeka to show their support for Palestine, but the event took a turn when allegations emerged that VPM officials allegedly admonished attendees for chanting 'Allahu Akbar' and confiscated placards depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a devil and war criminal.
VPM Chairman Dr Musa Nordin has denied these allegations, stating that the "Zionist tape" was "conveniently truncated", referring to a video that has gone viral online.
He clarified that he did not label anyone as a Zionist, but emphasised the importance of maintaining decorum and not descending to the level of hate speech "often associated with Zionism".
— Iz (@frfaizz) October 22, 2023
The controversy was met negatively on social media, where attendees and observers expressed their dismay and called for accountability.
Fakhri Fadzli, a participant, questioned the need to label the attendee holding the poster of Netanyahu as a 'war criminal' as having "Zionist behaviour".
“Is the message on the poster incorrect? If it is, what is a more civilised way to convey the message to Zionists? A more important question, shouldn't we, at this gathering, come together to voice our objections to Zionists? I demand an explanation from the organisers. If the labelling is due to a slip of the tongue, I hope an apology can be made,” he wrote.
Syed M. Shafiq, who identified himself as an individual holding a placard depicting Netanyahu as a devil and a war criminal, also took to social media expressed his disappointment with the event.
“I decided to leave and not be a part of the assembly after that, as it was too rigid and demeaning to intellectual and freedom of expression,” he wrote on Twitter/X.
Salam. Saya yang membawa dan mengangkat placard gambar Syaitan Netanyahu dan War Criminal itu. Saya ambil keputusan untuk balik dan tak bersama lagi perhimpunan yang sgt rigid dan merendahkan intelektual/kebebasan bersuara. pic.twitter.com/65lTnXIJha
— Syed M. Shafiq Al-Husaini (@sm_shafiq) October 22, 2023
The accusations against Musa's comments have not gone unnoticed, with one Twitter/X user, Ikhwan, demanding that Musa be held accountable for his remarks.
“Who is this Dr Musa to call participants of the Palestinian solidarity gathering Zionists? It's infuriating to hear. Make him accountable for this despicable remark,” he said.
The incident led to a partial dispersal of the crowd, with many attendees reportedly moving to join another rally near the Abdul Samad building.
A news outlet also reported that the organisers threatened a group of Palestinians, who were allegedly acting rowdy, with police action if they didn’t behave.
“I think they (a group of Palestinian attendees) were not interested in listening to the talks, they kept interrupting (speeches). My security told them: ‘If you misbehave, we will have no choice but to report you to the police, and this may threaten your stay in Malaysia’, Musa told Scoop MY.
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