Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday criticized Twitter and Facebook for removing inflammatory messages in which he asserted the right of Muslims to kill millions of French people.
“
During their history, the French have killed millions of people.
Many were Muslims.
Muslims have the right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past,
”Mahathir Mohamad, 95, wrote shortly after the attack in Nice, without referring to it.
To read also: Attack in Nice: stupor and anger among Catholics
Mahathir Mohamad explained on Friday that his comments had been misinterpreted and taken out of context and that he wanted above all to stress that Muslims had never sought to avenge the injustices done to them.
Facebook and Twitter "
should at least let me explain and defend my position,
" he said.
"
On the one hand, they have defended those who show insulting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (..) in the name of freedom of expression,
" he said.
"
On the other hand they deleted (my post saying) that Muslims had never sought revenge for the injustices committed against them in the past
."
Neither Facebook nor Twitter responded to these explanations from Mahathir Mohamad.
The ex-leader had in the past already caused a scandal with controversial statements about Jews and homosexuals.
He was the prime minister of Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, until his government fell in February.
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