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Remove impression of Islam being targeted : Musharraf asks US
Washington, June 26: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has asked United States to attack the root cause of terrorism instead of merely taking action against certain groups giving an impression in the Muslim world that Islam was being targeted.
Washington, June 26: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has asked United States to attack the root cause of terrorism instead of merely taking action against certain groups giving an impression in the Muslim world that Islam was being targeted.
"I will frankly admit, there are many misgivings in
Pakistan about the justification and the utility of our
cooperation with the US," he said in a speech to the US
Insitute of Peace yesterday.
Musharraf said this was due to the perception that symptoms rather than root cause of terror and extremism are being addressed and that unjust situations in which Muslim peoples are victims of state terror are being ignored.
"The Muslim world has started thinking that their religion Islam is being targeted. On the other side, the non-Muslim world, the West and the U.S., has started perceiving Islam to be a religion of terrorism, extremism, fundamentalism, intolerance.”
Musharraf, who reiterated Pakistan's commitment to rooting out terrorism in all its forms, said there were people in his country who were yet to be convinced of the wisdom of siding with Washington.
He said "I sincerely believe that if the Middle East and South Asia peace process can develop credibility, the very negative Muslim perceptions arising from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will become much less so."
Expressing his reservations over the increased scrutiny of Pakistani students by US authorities following the Sep 11 attack, Musharraf said it had sowed anti-American feeling among the citizens and students hesitate to come here for fear of harassment.
He said no Pakistani student had been implicated in any terrorist activity and hence any US prejudice against them was unwarranted.
Bureau Report
Musharraf said this was due to the perception that symptoms rather than root cause of terror and extremism are being addressed and that unjust situations in which Muslim peoples are victims of state terror are being ignored.
"The Muslim world has started thinking that their religion Islam is being targeted. On the other side, the non-Muslim world, the West and the U.S., has started perceiving Islam to be a religion of terrorism, extremism, fundamentalism, intolerance.”
Musharraf, who reiterated Pakistan's commitment to rooting out terrorism in all its forms, said there were people in his country who were yet to be convinced of the wisdom of siding with Washington.
He said "I sincerely believe that if the Middle East and South Asia peace process can develop credibility, the very negative Muslim perceptions arising from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will become much less so."
Expressing his reservations over the increased scrutiny of Pakistani students by US authorities following the Sep 11 attack, Musharraf said it had sowed anti-American feeling among the citizens and students hesitate to come here for fear of harassment.
He said no Pakistani student had been implicated in any terrorist activity and hence any US prejudice against them was unwarranted.
Bureau Report